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Somphospondylans
Somphospondyli is an extinct clade of titanosauriform sauropods that lived from the Late Jurassic until the end of the Late Cretaceous, comprising all titanosauriforms more closely related to Titanosauria proper than Brachiosauridae. The remains of somphospondylans have been discovered on all continents. Classification The group has officially been defined under the PhyloCode as the largest clade containing '' Saltasaurus loricatus'', but not ''Giraffatitan brancai.'' Features found as diagnostic of this clade by Mannion ''et al.'' (2013) include the possession of at least 15 cervical vertebrae; a bevelled radius bone end; sacral vertebrae with camellate internal texture; convex posterior articular surfaces of middle to posterior caudal vertebrae; biconvex distal caudal vertebrae; humerus anterolateral corner "squared"; among multiple others. The following cladogram depicts the reference phylogeny used to defined Somphospondlyi under the PhyloCode The ''International Code of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dongyangosaurus
''Dongyangosaurus'' is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. The only species is ''Dongyangosaurus sinensis'', from which only a single fragmentary skeleton is known, coming from the Zhejiang province of eastern China. It was described and named by Lü Junchang and colleagues. Like other sauropods, ''Dongyangosaurus'' would have been a large quadrupedal herbivore. Description The only skeleton (holotype DYM 04888) is stored in the Dongyang Museum (Dongyang, Zhejiang). It consists of ten dorsal vertebrae, the sacrum, two caudal vertebrae as well as the complete pelvis. The skeleton was found articulated. ''Dongyangosaurus'' was a midsized sauropod, measuring approximately 50 ft (15 m) in length and 15 ft (5 m) in height. The dorsal vertebrae were characterized by eye shaped pleurocoels and low bifurcated neural spines. The sacrum consisted of six fused sacral vertebrae, a feature unique to somphospondylans. The caudal vertebrae were amphi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Europatitan
''Europatitan'' is an extinct genus of Somphospondyli, somphospondylan sauropod from the Early Cretaceous Castrillo de la Reina Formation of Iberia, known from a relatively complete specimen discovered in the early 2000s. It contains a single species: the type species, ''Europatitan eastwoodi''. Discovery and naming Sauropod remains were first found at a locality called El Oterillo II, which is part of the Castrillo de la Reina Formation in the province of Burgos in Spain in 2003. These remains would be excavated between 2004-2006. The fossils, although not initially described, we reported as those of a Macronaria, titanosauriform in 2009. They were given the designations MDS-OTII.1 to NDS-OTII.32 and have been stored at the Dinosaur Museum of Salas de los Infantes. Finally, in 2017, the specimen received a full description by the authors Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor, José Ignacio Canudo, Pedro Huerta, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, and Diego Montero. All of the sauropod bones di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triunfosaurus
''Triunfosaurus'' (meaning "Triunfo Basin reptile") is a genus of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil. It contains a single species, ''T. leonardii'', described by Carvalho ''et al.'' in 2017. As a genus, ''Triunfosaurus'' can be distinguished from all other titanosaurs by the unique proportions of its ischium. It was initially described as a basal titanosaur, making it the earliest basal titanosaur known; however, subsequent research questioned the identification of the taxon as a titanosaur, instead reassigning it to the Somphospondyli. Description ''Triunfosaurus'' can be distinguished from other titanosaurs by two autapomorphies, or unique traits that distinguish it from other titanosaurs. Namely, the part of the ischium touching the pubis is half the height of the entire ischium, and the shaft of the ischium makes an angle of less than 70° with the acetabular portion, which contributes to the hip socket. It also presents a unique combina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiangxititan
''Jiangxititan'' is an extinct genus of somphospondylan titanosauriform dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, ''J. ganzhouensis'', known from several articulated vertebrae with ribs. Originally described as a titanosaur, ''Jiangxititan'' was later suggested to be a non-titanosaurian somphospondylan. Discovery and naming The ''Jiangxititan'' holotype specimen, NHMG 034062, was discovered in sediments of the Nanxiong Formation near Tankou Town in Ganzhou City of Jiangxi Province, southern China. The specimen consists of the three posteriormost cervical vertebrae with two cervical ribs, articulated with the first four dorsal vertebrae with three dorsal ribs. In 2023, Mo ''et al''. described ''Jiangxititan ganzhouensis'' as a new genus and species of macronarian sauropod based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "''Jiangxititan''", combines a reference to the type locality in Jiangxi Province with the word "t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wintonotitan
''Wintonotitan'' (meaning " Winton titan") is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur from Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous)-age Winton Formation of Australia. It is known from partial postcranial remains. Description and history Fossils that are now known under the name ''Wintonotitan'' were first found in 1974 by Keith Watts. At the time, the specimens were assigned to an '' Austrosaurus'' sp., ''Austrosaurus'' then being the only named Australian Cretaceous sauropod genus. These fossils, catalogued as QMF 7292, consisted of a left shoulder blade, much of the forelimbs, a number of back, hip, and tail vertebrae, part of the right hip, ribs, chevrons, and unidentifiable fragments. QMF 7292 was established as the type specimen of ''Wintonotitan'' in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues. Hocknull suggested that ''Austrosaurus mckillopi'' differed only slightly from the QMF 7292, the holotype of ''Wintonotitan wattsii'', and should be considered a ''nomen dubium''. The type ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tastavinsaurus
''Tastavinsaurus'' is a genus of sauropod dinosaur belonging to the Titanosauriformes. It is based on a partial skeleton from the Early Cretaceous Xert Formation of Spain. The type species is ''Tastavinsaurus sanzi'', named in honor of the Rio Tastavins in Spain and Spanish paleontologist José Luis Sanz. ''Tastavinsaurus sanzi'' is known from two specimens, one from the Xert Formation and one from the Forcall Formation. ''Tastavinsaurus'' was originally described as a somphospondylan, but it may be a brachiosaurid. The clade Laurasiformes was coined for ''Tastavinsaurus'' and its close relatives, which may include ''Cedarosaurus'', ''Soriatitan'', and '' Venenosaurus''. Description The length of ''Tastavinsaurus sanzi'' has been estimated to be 16 metres (50 feet), and its weight has been estimated to be 8 tonnes. The caudal vertebrae are similar to those of other basal titanosauriforms, such as ''Cedarosaurus''. The shin was proportionally shorter than in other sauropods, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sibirotitan
''Sibirotitan'' ("Siberian titan") is a genus of somphospondyl sauropod from the Ilek Formation of Russia. The type and only species is ''S. astrosacralis''. Discovery and naming The material assigned to ''Sibirotitan'' was found in the Shestakovo 1 locality of the Ilek Formation, deposited in a cliff on the Kiya River's right bank, near Shestakovo Village in Kemerovo Province, West Siberia, Russia. Vertebrate remains were first recovered in 1953, and larger dinosaur fossils were found later in the sixties. Definitive sauropod remains were first discovered during expeditions in 1994 and 1995. In 2002, a reasonably complete foot would be described by Russian vertebrate paleontologist Alexander Averianov and colleagues; there was insufficient material to name the taxon, but they identified it as a member of Titanosauriformes, noting teeth from the locality indicated possible brachiosaur identity, but that a caudal vertebra from a nearby locality indicated the presence of a tit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sauroposeidon
''Sauroposeidon'' ( ; meaning "lizard earthquake deity, god", after the Greek god Poseidon) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur known from several incomplete specimens including a bone bed and fossilized trackways that have been found in the U.S. states of Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Texas. The fossils were found in rocks dating from near the end of the Early Cretaceous (Aptian–early Albian), from about 113 to 110 million years ago, a time when sauropod diversity in North America had greatly diminished. It was the last known North American sauropod prior to Sauropod hiatus, an absence of the group on the continent of roughly 40 million years that ended with the appearance of ''Alamosaurus'' during the Maastrichtian. While the holotype remains were initially discovered in 1994, due to their unexpected age and unusual size they were initially misclassified as pieces of petrified wood. A more detailed analysis in 1999 revealed their true nature which resulted in a minor media frenzy, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruixinia
''Ruixinia'' is an extinct genus of somphospondylan titanosauriform dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Yixian Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, ''Ruixinia zhangi''. The ''Ruixinia'' holotype is a partial articulated skeleton with the most complete series of caudal vertebrae known from any Asian titanosauriform. Discovery and naming The ''Ruixinia'' holotype specimen, ELDM EL-J009, was found in sediments of the Yixian Formation in Beipiao, Liaoning Province, northeastern China. This locality is dated to the Barremian age of the Early Cretaceous period. The fossil material consists of a partial articulated skeleton including cervical, dorsal, and sacral vertebrae, caudal vertebrae and associated chevrons, dorsal ribs, and a left ilium, pubis, femur, tibia, astragalus, metatarsal V, and possible pedal phalanx. At the time of its description, the fossil material was still partially embedded in matrix, with only the left side of the bones prepare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pukyongosaurus
''Pukyongosaurus'' (meaning "Pukyong lizard", after the Pukyong National University) is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur that lived in South Korea during the Early Cretaceous Period (Aptian - Albian). It may have been closely related to ''Euhelopus'', and is known from a series of vertebrae in the neck and back. The characteristics that were originally used to distinguish this genus have been criticized as being either widespread or too poorly preserved to evaluate, rendering the genus an indeterminate nomen dubium among titanosauriforms. The 2022 study noted that ''Pukyongosaurus'' is probably a somphospondylan. Discovery In 2000, several fragments of a sauropod skeleton were discovered in the Hasandong Formation in Hadong County, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Padillasaurus
''Padillasaurus'' is an extinct genus of titanosauriform sauropod known from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian stage) Paja Formation in Colombia. It contains a single species, ''Padillasaurus leivaensis'', known only from a single partial axial skeleton. Initially described as a brachiosaurid, it was considered to be the first South American brachiosaurid ever discovered and named. Before its discovery, the only known brachiosaurid material on the continent was very fragmentary and from the Jurassic period. However, a more recent study finds it to be a basal somphospondylan. Discovery The fossil was discovered by local farmers in a limestone nodule during the 1990s in Ricaurte, northeast of Villa de Leyva. The exact site of the find is unknown, however the rock matrix in which the fossil was located contains ammonite fossils bellowing to the species '' Gerhardtia galeatoides'' and ''Lytoceras'' sp., that allow the establishment of their origin in the middle Paja Formation which has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ligabuesaurus
''Ligabuesaurus'' is a genus of titanosauriformes, somphospondylan sauropod from the Early Cretaceous Lohan Cura Formation of what is now Argentina. The type species, ''Ligabuesaurus leanzai'', was described in 2006, based on a partial skeleton with a skull. The generic name, ''Ligabuesaurus'', honors Giancarlo Ligabue, while the specific name (zoology), specific name, ''leanzai'', honors the geologist Dr. Héctor A. Leanza, who discovered the skeleton in the Lohan Cura Formation. Discovery and naming The prominent Argentine paleontologist José F. Bonaparte led expeditions throughout northwestern Patagonia during the late 1990s and early 2000s. One of these expeditions, in 1997, examined a site called Cerro de los Leones, which is to the West of Picún Leufú. This locality is part of the Cullín Grande Member of the Lohan Cura formation. This expedition led to the excavation of the enigmatic and controversial sauropod genus ''Agustinia''. Additional remains of sauropods were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
