Bustingorrytitan

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Bustingorrytitan
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian
Bustingorrytitan (forelimb bones).jpg
Forelimb bones
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: Bustingorrytitan
Simón & Salgado, 2023
Species:
B. shiva
Binomial name
Bustingorrytitan shiva
Simón & Salgado, 2023

Bustingorrytitan (meaning "Bustingorry's giant") is a genus of lithostrotian titanosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Huincul Formation of Argentina. The type species is Bustingorrytitan shiva. [1]

Discovery and naming

Axial remains Bustingorrytitan (axial skeleton).jpg
Axial remains

In 2001, several sauropod skeletons were uncovered at the "Bustingorry II" site at Villa El Chocón, including remains belonging to both Choconsaurus and Bustingorrytitan. [2] This sauropod was announced in a conference the same year by Simón, and received the informal name of "Sauropodus". [3] It was first described in 2011, in a thesis by María Edith Simón. [4]

It was named as a new genus and species of titanosaur in 2023. The generic name, "Bustingorrytitan", honors Manuel Bustingorry, the person who owns the land where the fossils were found, combining his name with the Greek titan, in reference to its large size. The specific name, "shiva", is named after the Hindu god Shiva, who destroys and transforms the universe, in reference to the Cenomanian-Turonian faunal turnover. [1]

Pelvic and hindlimb bones Bustingorrytitan (pelvic and hindlimb bones).jpg
Pelvic and hindlimb bones

The holotype of Bustingorrytitan is MMCH-Pv 59/1-40, a partial skeleton including a tooth, vertebra, possible ribs, a scapula, a humerus, a femur, tibiae and a fibula. Four specimens are known, together including parts of the dentary and postcranial skeleton. [1]

Description

Life restoration Bustingorrytitan.png
Life restoration

Using femur allometry, the weight of Bustingorrytitan was estimated to be approximately 67.3 tonnes (66.2 long tons; 74.2 short tons), making it one of the largest titanosaurs. It is also likely that the specimen doesn't belong to a fully grown animal. [1] However, estimates based on limb bone allometry have been criticized as unreliable, and when applied to large sauropods regularly produce higher mass estimates than those produced by other methods. [5] [6] [7]

Classification

Bustingorrytitan was entered into a phylogenetic analysis and recovered as a member of the Lithostrotia, which itself is recovered as a subclade of the Saltasauroidea, in contrast to most analyses. The results of the analysis are shown in the cladogram below: [1]

Lithostrotia

Paleoecology

Bustingorrytitan was recovered from the Huincul Formation alongside two other gigantic titanosaurs, Argentinosaurus and Chucarosaurus . The three are not closely related to one another, which means that giant titanosaurs evolved multiple times within Eutitanosauria. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Argentinosaurus</i> Late Cretaceous giant sauropod dinosaur genus

Argentinosaurus is a genus of giant sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Argentina. Although it is only known from fragmentary remains, Argentinosaurus is one of the largest known land animals of all time, perhaps the largest, measuring 30–35 metres (98–115 ft) long and weighing 65–80 tonnes. It was a member of Titanosauria, the dominant group of sauropods during the Cretaceous. It is widely regarded by many paleontologists as the biggest dinosaur ever, and perhaps lengthwise the longest animal ever, though both claims have no concrete evidence yet.

<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>Limaysaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Limaysaurus is a genus represented by a single species of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaurs, which lived during the mid-Cretaceous period, about 99.6 to 97 million years ago, in the Cenomanian, in what is now South America.

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

Andesaurus is a genus of basal titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur which existed during the middle of the Cretaceous Period in South America. Like most sauropods, belonging to one of the largest animals ever to walk the Earth, it would have had a small head on the end of a long neck and an equally long tail.

<i>Mapusaurus</i> Carcharodontosaurid dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous

Mapusaurus was a giant carcharodontosaurid carnosaurian dinosaur from the early Late Cretaceous, approximately 93.9 to 89.6 million years ago, of what is now Argentina.

The Huincul Formation is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous age of the Neuquén Basin that outcrops in the Mendoza, Río Negro and Neuquén Provinces of northern Patagonia, Argentina. It is the second formation in the Río Limay Subgroup, the oldest subgroup within the Neuquén Group. Formerly that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Huincul Formation was known as the Huincul Member.

<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>Skorpiovenator</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Skorpiovenator is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentina. It is one of the most complete and informative abelisaurids yet known, described from a nearly complete and articulated skeleton.

<i>Katepensaurus</i> Extinct genus of rebbachisaurid dinosaurs

Katepensaurus is an extinct genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of south-central Chubut Province of central Patagonia, Argentina. It contains a single species, Katepensaurus goicoecheai.

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

Patagotitan is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Cerro Barcino Formation in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The genus contains a single species known from at least six young adult individuals, Patagotitan mayorum, which was first announced in 2014 and then named in 2017 by José Carballido and colleagues. Preliminary studies and press releases suggested that Patagotitan was the largest known titanosaur and land animal overall, with an estimated length of 37 m (121 ft) and an estimated weight of 69 tonnes. Later research revised the length estimate down to 31 m (102 ft) and weight estimates down to approximately 50–57 tonnes, suggesting that Patagotitan was of a similar size to, if not smaller than, its closest relatives Argentinosaurus and Puertasaurus. Still, Patagotitan is one of the most-known titanosaurs, and so its interrelationships with other titanosaurs have been relatively consistent in phylogenetic analyses. This led to its use in a re-definition of the group Colossosauria by Carballido and colleagues in 2022.

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

Notocolossus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from late Cretaceous strata of Mendoza Province, Argentina.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum</span> Science museum, Local museum in Neuquén Province, Argentina

The Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum (MEB) in Villa El Chocón, Neuquén Province, Argentina, is a municipal museum dedicated to the paleontology, archaeology and history of Villa El Chocón and its surroundings.

Tralkasaurus is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur from the Huincul Formation from Río Negro Province in Argentina. The type and only species is Tralkasaurus cuyi, named in 2020 by Mauricio Cerroni and colleagues based on an incomplete skeleton. A medium-sized abelisaurid, Tralkasaurus exhibits a conflicting blend of characteristics found among the early-diverging abelisauroids with others that characterize the highly specialized clade Brachyrostra, and thus its position within the clade is poorly-resolved.

<i>Overoraptor</i> Extinct genus of theropod dinosaurs

Overoraptor is an extinct genus of paravian theropod of uncertain affinities from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentinian Patagonia. The genus contains a single species, O. chimentoi, known from several bones of the hands, feet, and hips alongside some vertebrae.

<i>Meraxes</i> Genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaurs

Meraxes is a genus of large carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. The genus contains a single species, Meraxes gigas.

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

Chucarosaurus is an extinct genus of titanosaurian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, C. diripienda, known from various limb and pelvic bones.

Sidersaura is an extinct genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, S. marae, known from the remains of four individuals. Sidersaura represents one of the largest known rebbachisaurids.

<i>Chakisaurus</i> Extinct genus of ornithopod dinosaurs

Chakisaurus is an extinct genus of elasmarian ornithopod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, C. nekul, known from multiple partial skeletons belonging to individuals of different ages. Chakisaurus represents the first ornithischian species to be named from the Huincul Formation.

Titanomachya is an extinct genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, T. gimenezi. It is a relatively small titanosaur, weighing around 7.8 tonnes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Simón, M. E.; Salgado, L. (2023). "A new gigantic titanosaurian sauropod from the early Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina)". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica . doi: 10.4202/app.01086.2023 .
  2. Simón, Edith; Leonardo Salgado, and Jorge O. Calvo. 2017. A new titanosaur sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Ameghiniana 55. 1–29. Accessed 2020-03-16. doi : 10.5710/AMGH.01.08.2017.3051
  3. Simón, Edith, (2001). A giant sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of El Chocon.
  4. Simón, M.E. (2011). Los dinosaurios saurópodos de la Formación Huincul (Cenomaniano superior) en Villa El Chocón (Neuquén): osteología, relaciones filogenéticas, aspectos paleoecológicos, y paleobiogeográficos. 493 pp. Unpublished Thesis, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba
  5. "No, David Attenborough, you can't tell how heavy a dinosaur was from the circumference of its femur". Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week. 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  6. Bates, Karl T.; Falkingham, Peter L.; Macaulay, Sophie; Brassey, Charlotte; Maidment, Susannah C. R. (2015). "Downsizing a giant: re-evaluating Dreadnoughtus body mass". Biology Letters. 11 (6). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0215. eISSN   1744-957X. ISSN   1744-9561. PMC   4528471 . PMID   26063751.
  7. Campione, Nicolás E. (2017). "Extrapolating body masses in large terrestrial vertebrates". Paleobiology. 43 (4): 693–699. Bibcode:2017Pbio...43..693C. doi:10.1017/pab.2017.9. eISSN   1938-5331. ISSN   0094-8373.