Brasilotitan

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Brasilotitan
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 72–70  Ma
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Sauropoda
Clade: Macronaria
Clade: Titanosauria
Clade: Lithostrotia
Genus: Brasilotitan
Machado et al., 2013
Species:
B. nemophagus
Binomial name
Brasilotitan nemophagus
Machado et al., 2013

Brasilotitan (meaning "Brazil giant") is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian) Adamantina Formation of Brazil. The type species is Brasilotitan nemophagus. Brasilotitan was a small titanosaur with a squared-off snout, and may be closely related to another Brazilian titanosaur, Uberabatitan .

Contents

Discovery and naming

In 2000, William R. Nava collected the partial skeleton of a sauropod along a road in São Paulo state near Presidente Prudente city. In 2013, a team of researchers, including Nava and led by Elaine B. Machado, described the remains as a new genus and species of sauropod, Brasilotitan nemophagus. The genus name refers to its discovery in Brazil and to the Titans of Greek mythology, and the species epithet combines the Greek words némos "pasture, wood" and phagos "to eat", in reference to its herbivorous diet. [1]

Fossil record

Fossils of Brasilotitan nemophagus are known from the Adamantina Formation, [1] although in 2017 Brusatte and colleagues suggested that some of the sauropod fossils reported from the Adamantina Formation may actually come from the Presidente Prudente Formation. [2] The holotype specimen, MPM 125R, is a partial skeleton that consists of the right dentary, two partial cervical vertebrae, a partial sacrum, two fragments of the pelvis pertaining to the ilium and ischium, and an ungual phalanx. A tooth fragment that was found nearby, MPM 126R, may belong to the same skeleton. The holotype specimen was likely scavenged by theropods before being buried, as some of the bones show puncture marks and theropod teeth were found alongside the skeleton. [1]

Description

Brasilotitan was small for a sauropod, probably less than 12 metres (39 ft) long. [3] As in several other titanosaurs, the mandible is L-shaped, producting a squared-off snout. The symphyseal region of the dentary is slightly twisted medially, a feature never recorded before in any titanosaur.The neural spines of the cervical vertebrae are relatively low. [1]

Phylogeny

Although the phylogenetic position of Brasilotitan is difficult to establish, the new species is neither basal nor a derived member of Titanosauria. Based on lower jaw morphology, it appears to be closely related to Antarctosaurus and Bonitasaura . This discovery enriches the titanosaur diversity of Brazil and provides further new anatomical information on the lower jaws of those herbivorous dinosaurs. [1]

Phylogenetic analyses have found Brasilotitan to be the sister taxon of another Brazilian titanosaur, Uberabatitan . [4] [5] Filippi et al. included Brasilotitan in what they called "Clade A", a grouping of titanosaurs with square jaws. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Antarctosaurus</i> Sauropod dinosaur genus from Late Cretaceous

Antarctosaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now South America. The type species, Antarctosaurus wichmannianus, and a second species, Antarctosaurus giganteus, were described by prolific German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1929. Three additional species of Antarctosaurus have been named since then but later studies have considered them dubious or unlikely to pertain to the genus.

<i>Aeolosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Aeolosaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now South America. Like most sauropods, it would have been a quadrupedal herbivore with a long neck and tail. Aeolosaurus is well known for a titanosaur, as it is represented by the remains of several individuals belonging to at least two species. However, like most titanosaurs, no remains of the skull are known. The holotype of Aeolosaurus rionegrinus consists of a series of seven tail vertebrae, as well as parts of both forelimbs and the right hindlimb. It was discovered in the Angostura Colorada Formation in Argentina, which dates from the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, about 83 to 74 million years ago. The species A. maximus was transferred over to the new genus Arrudatitan in 2021.

<i>Adamantisaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Adamantisaurus is a poorly-known genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now South America. It is only known from six tail vertebrae but, as a sauropod, it can be assumed that this dinosaur was a very large animal with a long neck and tail.

<i>Cristatusaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Cristatusaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Niger, 112 million years ago. It was a baryonychine member of the Spinosauridae, a group of large bipedal carnivores with well-built forelimbs and elongated, crocodile-like skulls. The type species Cristatusaurus lapparenti was named in 1998 by scientists Philippe Taquet and Dale Russell, on the basis of jaw bones and some vertebrae. Two claw fossils were also later assigned to Cristatusaurus. The animal's generic name, which means "crested reptile", alludes to a sagittal crest on top of its snout; while the specific name is in honor of the French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent. Cristatusaurus is known from the Albian to Aptian Elrhaz Formation, where it would have coexisted with sauropod and iguanodontian dinosaurs, other theropods, and various crocodylomorphs.

<i>Rocasaurus</i> Genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Late Cretaceous period

Rocasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod that lived in South America. Rocasaurus was discovered in Argentina in 2000, within the Allen Formation which is dated to be middle Campanian to early Maastrichtian in age. This genus grew up to 8 metres (26 ft) long, making it one of the smaller sauropods. It seems to be closely related to saltasaurid dinosaurs, like Saltasaurus and Neuquensaurus.

<i>Puertasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Puertasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous Period. It is known from a single specimen recovered from sedimentary rocks of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation in southwestern Patagonia, Argentina, which probably is Campanian or Maastrichtian in age. The only species is Puertasaurus reuili. Described by the paleontologist Fernando Novas and colleagues in 2005, it was named in honor of Pablo Puerta and Santiago Reuil, who discovered and prepared the specimen. It consists of four well-preserved vertebrae, including one cervical, one dorsal, and two caudal vertebrae. Puertasaurus is a member of Titanosauria, the dominant group of sauropods during the Cretaceous.

<i>Maxakalisaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Maxakalisaurus is a genus of titanosaur dinosaur, found in the Adamantina Formation of Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais in 1998. The genus name is derived from the tribe of the Maxakali; Topa is one of their divinities.

<i>Uberabatitan</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Uberabatitan is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. It is known from bones including neck, back, and tail vertebrae, pelvic bones, and limb bones. These fossils were found in the uppermost portion of the Maastrichtian-age Serra da Galga Formation of the Bauru Group, in Uberaba, Minas Gerais. The type species, described by Salgado and Carvalho in 2008, is U. ribeiroi. To date, it is the most recent titanosaur from Bauru Group rocks; other titanosaurs from the Bauru Group, including Baurutitan and Trigonosaurus, come from lower levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lognkosauria</span> Clade of titanosaurian sauropods

Lognkosauria is a clade of giant long-necked sauropod dinosaurs within the clade Titanosauria. It includes some of the largest and heaviest dinosaurs known. They lived in South America and likely Asia during the Late Cretaceous period.

<i>Petrobrasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Petrobrasaurus is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur. It is a titanosaur which lived during the upper Cretaceous period in what is now Rincón de los Sauces, Patagonia, Argentina. It is known from the holotype MAU-Pv-PH-449 — a partial disarticulated skeleton recovered from the Plottier Formation, Argentina. This genus was named by Leonardo S. Filippi, José Ignacio Canudo, Leonardo J. Salgado, Alberto C. Garrido, Rodolfo A. Garcia, Ignacio A. Cerda and Alejandro Otero in 2011, and the type species is Petrobrasaurus puestohernandezi. The generic name is derived from "Petrobras" and saurus, "lizard". The specific name refers to the Puesto Hernández oil field, where the fossil remains were found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeolosaurini</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

Aeolosaurini is an extinct clade of titanosaurian dinosaurs known from the Cretaceous period of Argentina and Brazil. Rodrigo M. Santucci and Antonio C. de Arruda-Campos (2011) in their cladistic analysis found Aeolosaurus, Gondwanatitan, Maxakalisaurus, Panamericansaurus and Rinconsaurus to be aeolosaurids.

<i>Austroposeidon</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Austroposeidon is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Presidente Prudente Formation of Brazil. It contains one species, Austroposeidon magnificus.

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Choconsaurus is an extinct genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur belonging to the group Titanosauriformes, which lived in the area of present-day Argentina at the end of the Cretaceous.

<i>Mansourasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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Kaijutitan is a genus of basal titanosaur dinosaur from the Sierra Barrosa Formation from Neuquén Province in Argentina. The type and only species is Kaijutitan maui.

Punatitan is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Ciénaga del Río Huaco Formation of La Rioja, Argentina. It contains one species, Punatitan coughlini.

<i>Arrudatitan</i> Extinct genus of titanosaur

Arrudatitan is an extinct genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian)-aged Adamantina Formation of Brazil. The type species, A. maximus, was named and described in 2011 as a species of Aeolosaurus, but was separated into its own genus in 2021. It was relatively gracile for a titanosaur.

Ibirania is a genus of dwarf saltasaurine titanosaur dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous São José do Rio Preto Formation of Southeast Brazil. The type species is Ibirania parva. It is one of the smallest sauropods known to date, comparable in size to the titanosaur Magyarosaurus.

<i>Inawentu</i> Genus of titanosaurian dinosaurs

Inawentu is an extinct genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Bajo de la Carpa Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, I. oslatus, known from a partial articulated skeleton including the skull. The square-shaped jaw of Inawentu demonstrates convergent characteristics with rebbachisaurids.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Elaine B. Machado; Leonardo dos S. Avilla; William R. Nava; Diogenes de A. Campos; Alexander W. A. Kellner (2013). "A new titanosaur sauropod from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil". Zootaxa. 3701 (3): 301–321. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3701.3.1. PMID   26191585.
  2. Brusatte, Stephen L.; Candeiro, Carlos R.A.; Simbras, Felipe M. (2017). "The last dinosaurs of Brazil: The Bauru Group and its implications for the end-Cretaceous mass extinction". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 89 (3): 1465–1485. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201720160918. eISSN   1678-2690. ISSN   0001-3765.
  3. González Riga, Bernardo J.; Casal, Gabriel A.; Fiorillo, Anthony R.; Ortiz David, Leonardo D. (2022). "Taphonomy: Overview and New Perspectives Related to the Paleobiology of Giants". In Otero, Alejandro; Carballido, José L.; Pol, Diego (eds.). South American Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 541–582. ISBN   978-3-030-95958-6.
  4. Navarro, Bruno; Ghilardi, Aline; Aureliano, Tito; Díez Díaz, Verónica; Bandeira, Kamila; Cattaruzzi, André; Iori, Fabiano; Martine, Ariel; Carvalho, Alberto; Anelli, Luiz; Fernandes, Marcelo; Zaher, Hussam (2022-09-15). "A new nanoid titanosaur (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil". Ameghiniana. 59 (5): 317–354. doi:10.5710/AMGH.25.08.2022.3477. ISSN   0002-7014.
  5. 1 2 Filippi, Leonardo S.; Juárez Valieri, Rubén D.; Gallina, Pablo A.; Méndez, Ariel H.; Gianechini, Federico A.; Garrido, Alberto C. (2023-10-30). "A rebbachisaurid-mimicking titanosaur and evidence of a Late Cretaceous faunal disturbance event in South-West Gondwana". Cretaceous Research. 154: 105754. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105754. ISSN   0195-6671.