Jiutaisaurus

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Jiutaisaurus
Temporal range: Early-Late Cretaceous, 125–93.9  Ma
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade:† Sauropodomorpha
Clade:† Sauropoda
Clade:† Macronaria
Clade:† Titanosauriformes
Genus:† Jiutaisaurus
Wu et al., 2006
Type species
†Jiutaisaurus xidiensis
Wu et al., 2006

Jiutaisaurus (meaning "Jiutai lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Quantou Formation of Jilin, China. The formation dates from the Early - Late Cretaceous boundary. The type species, Jiutaisaurus xidiensis, was described by Wu et al. in 2006, and is based on eighteen vertebrae. It probably lived alongside Changchunsaurus and Helioceratops .

Contents

Discovery and naming

In September 2003, a team from Jilin University conducted a fossil excavation in Xidi Village, Jiutai, and recovered 18 caudal vertebrae from a sauropod, as well as some other fossils. In March 2006, Wu Wenhao, Dong Zhiming, Sun Yuewu, Li Chuntian, and Li Tao described the vertebrae as a new genus and species, Jiutaisaurus xidiensis (Chinese :西地九台龙; pinyin :Xīdì Jiǔtáilóng), named for the discovery site. [1]

Fossil record

Jiutaisaurus xidiensis is known only from the holotype specimen, CAD-02, which was recovered from the Cretaceous-aged Quantou Formation. The specimen consists of 18 articulated caudal vertebrae, hypothesized to represent the 11th to 28th vertebrae of the caudal series, and 13 haemal arches. [1]

Classification

In their original description, Wu and colleagues tentatively classified Jiutaisaurus as a titanosaur, also noting similarities to Huabeisauridae and Brachiosauridae. [1] Subsequent authors have considered it to be an indeterminate titanosauriform. [2] Wilson and Upchurch, in 2009, considered it a nomen dubium . [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wu, Wen-hao; Dong, Zhi-ming; Sun, Yue-wu; Li, Chun-tian; Li, Tao (2006). "A new sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Jiutai, Jilin, China". Global Geology. 25 (1): 6–8.
  2. ↑ Mannion, Philip D.; Upchurch, Paul; Barnes, Rosie N.; Mateus, Octávio (2013). "Osteology of the Late Jurassic Portuguese sauropod dinosaur Lusotitan atalaiensis (Macronaria) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 168: 98–206. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12029 .
  3. ↑ Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Upchurch, Paul (2009-05-26). "Redescription and reassessment of the phylogenetic affinities of Euhelopus zdanskyi (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the early cretaceous of China". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 7 (2): 199–239. doi:10.1017/S1477201908002691. eISSN   1478-0941. ISSN   1477-2019.
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