Titanomachya

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Titanomachya
Titanomachya UDL.png
Life restoration
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
Superfamily: Saltasauroidea
Genus: Titanomachya
Pérez-Moreno et al., 2024
Type species
Titanomachya gimenezi
Pérez-Moreno et al., 2024

Titanomachya (named after the Titanomachy of Greek mythology) 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 (8.6 short tons).

Contents

Discovery and naming

The Titanomachya holotype specimen, MPEF Pv 11547, was discovered in sediments of the La Colonia Formation near the Cerro Bayo mountain and Bajada del Diablo crater in Chubut Province of Patagonia, Argentina. The specimen consists of an incomplete, partially articulated skeleton, including a caudal vertebra, several fragmentary ribs, two haemal arches, the left humerus, fragments of the pelvic girdle, part of both femora, both tibiae and fibulae, and parts of both astragali. [1]

Artistic representation of the Titanomachy, after which Titanomachya was named, by Joachim Wtewael Joachim Wtewael - The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans - WGA25902.jpg
Artistic representation of the Titanomachy, after which Titanomachya was named, by Joachim Wtewael

In 2024, Pérez-Moreno et al. described Titanomachya gimenezi as a new genus and species of titanosaurian sauropod based on these fossil remains. Two partial caudal vertebrae belonging to saltasauroid titanosaurs are also known from the formation, but were not referred to Titanomachya. The generic name, Titanomachya, alludes to the mythological Greek Titanomachy—the battle where the Olympian gods fought and defeated the Titans—referring to the species' proximity to the extinction of the titanosaurs. The specific name, gimenezi, honors Olga Giménez and her paleontological contributions to the study of Argentinian dinosaurs from Chubut Province. [1]

Titanomachya represents the first saltasauroid titanosaur to be discovered in Central Patagonian sediments dated to the end of the Cretaceous. The only other saltasauroid from the North Patagonian Massif is the similarly aged Dreadnoughtus from Argentina's Cerro Fortaleza Formation. [1]

Description

Titanomachya is a small titanosaur, with an estimated length of 6 metres (20 ft). [2] It probably weighed between 5.8 and 9.8 tonnes (6.4 and 10.8 short tons), with a mean body mass of 7.8 tonnes (8.6 short tons). The holotype specimen was an adult similar in size to some related saltasaurids ( Neuquensaurus and Saltasaurus ), but it may have weighed more, as indicated by an astragalus modified for improved weight-bearing. The morphology of the astragalus is intermediate between colossosaurs and saltasauroids. [1]

Classification

Pérez-Moreno et al. (2024) entered Titanomachya into a phylogenetic analysis and found it to be in the clade Lithostrotia, itself recovered as a subclade of the Saltasauroidea. This result is similar to that recovered in the 2023 description of Bustingorrytitan . [3] The results of Pérez-Moreno et al. are shown in the cladogram below: [1]

Eutitanosauria

Paleoenvironment

Restoration of Titanomachya in its environment Titanomachya gimenezi & The La Colonia Formation.jpg
Restoration of Titanomachya in its environment

Titanomachya was found in outcrops of the La Colonia Formation, which dates to the Maastrichtian (Cretaceous)–Paleocene (Paleogene) boundary. [4] This formation is best known for fossils of the abelisaurid theropods Carnotaurus and Koleken , [5] as well as fossils of other reptiles including the turtle Patagoniaemys , the snake Alamitophis and the plesiosaurs Kawanectes , Chubutinectes and Sulcusuchus . [6] [7] [8] [9] Mammals discovered from the formation include Reigitherium , Coloniatherium , Argentodites and Ferugliotherium . [10] [11] Remains of an enantiornithine and, possibly, of a neornithine bird have been discovered. [12] [13] While Titanomachya represents the first herbivorous dinosaur named from this locality, remains of indeterminate hadrosaurs and ankylosaurs have also been found. The small adult size of Titanomachya compared to giant titanosaurs may have been a result of competition with an increased diversity of these other herbivores. [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

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

Bonitasaura is a genus of titanosaurian dinosaur hailing from uppermost layers of the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Neuquén Group of the eastern Neuquén Basin, located in Río Negro Province, Northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. The remains, consisting of a partial sub-adult skeleton jumbled in a small area of fluvial sandstone, including a lower jaw with teeth, a partial vertebrae series, and limb bones, were described by Sebastian Apesteguía in 2004.

Clasmodosaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Mata Amarilla Formation and the Cerro Fortaleza Formation. It lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now Argentina. It is known from five fossilized and assorted teeth, but is diagnosed by a unique combination of characters.

<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.

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>Pellegrinisaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Pellegrinisaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period. The holotype was found in the Allen Formation, Argentina.

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

Rinconsaurus is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous in what is now Argentina. The type species, Rinconsaurus caudamirus, was described by Calvo and Riga in 2003, and is based on three partial skeletons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anacleto Formation</span> Geologic formation in Argentina

The Anacleto Formation is a geologic formation with outcrops in the Argentine Patagonian provinces of Mendoza, Río Negro, and Neuquén. It is the youngest formation within the Neuquén Group and belongs to the Río Colorado Subgroup. Formerly that subgroup was treated as a formation, and the Anacleto Formation was known as the Anacleto Member.

The Cerro Barcino Formation is a geological formation in South America whose strata span the Early Cretaceous to the earliest Late Cretaceous. The top age for the formation has been estimated to be Cenomanian. Earlier estimates placed the formation until the Campanian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Colonia Formation</span> Geological formation in Argentina

The La Colonia Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Formation</span> Geological formation in Argentina

The Allen Formation is a geological formation in Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous (middle Campanian to early Maastrichtian. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. Indeterminate chelid remains and other vertebrates have also been discovered in this formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eutitanosauria</span> Clade of titanosaurs

Eutitanosauria is a clade of titanosaurs, encompassing the more derived members of the group and characterized by the absence of the hyposphene-hypantrum articulation and possibly the presence of osteoderms. The group was first named by Sanz and colleagues in 1999, who used it to unite the group of Argyrosaurus, Lirainosaurus, Saltasaurus and the Peiropolis titanosaur. However, this definition was not used as it made the group equivalent to Saltasauridae, so Saldago redefined it in 2003 to be all titanosaurs closer to Saltasaurus than Epachthosaurus. This definition created Eutitanosauria as the sister group to Epachthosaurinae, but was problematic due to the variable nature of Epachthosaurus. Eutitanosauria was often broadly similar to Lithostrotia, and has often been unused or unlabelled on phylogenies. Sometimes Epachthosaurus would be more primitive than Malawisaurus, making Eutitanosauria more encompassing than Lithostrotia, or Epachthosaurus could nest close to Colossosauria and limit Eutitanosauria to a smaller group of saltasauroids. Because of the flexible nature of Epachthosaurus in basal titanosaur phylogeny, Carballido and colleagues redefined the group in 2022 to include the smallest clade of both Patagotitan, a colossosaur, and Saltasaurus, creating a node-stem clade with Colossosauria and Saltasauroidea, presenting the informal cladogram of stable titanosaur clades below.

<i>Kawanectes</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Kawanectes is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur, a type of long-necked marine reptile, that lived in the marginal marine environment of Late Cretaceous Patagonia. It contains one species, K. lafquenianum, described in 2016 by O'Gorman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltasaurini</span> Extinct tribe of reptiles

Saltasaurini is a tribe of titanosaur sauropods known from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. The clade was named in 2007 by Leonardo Salgado and José Bonaparte as the "least inclusive clade comprising Neuquensaurus and Saltasaurus", which is equivalent to the use of Saltasaurinae in Salgado et al. (1997). Found only in the Campanian to Maastrichtian sediments of the Neuquén Basin, Salgado & Bonaparte (2007) decided a more restrictive clade was needed because of the expansion of Saltasaurinae as defined to include far more taxa than it originally encompassed. Saltasaurini includes the original core of Saltasaurinae: Neuquensaurus, Saltasaurus, Rocasaurus and Bonatitan, although some studies exclude Bonatitan from the clade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltasauroidea</span> Superfamily of dinosaurs

Saltasauroidea is a superfamily of titanosaurs named by França and colleagues in 2016 based on their phylogenetic results, for a clade uniting Aeolosaurini and Saltasauridae, as well as the intermediate genera Baurutitan, Diamantinasaurus and Isisaurus. The group was not defined or discussed in the text, but was supported by Carballido and colleagues in 2022 as a useful designation for subdividing titanosaurs. As there was no discussion about the intentions for the clade, Carballido gave it the definition of all taxa closer to Saltasaurus than Patagotitan, encompassing half of Eutitanosauria as the sister taxon to the inversely defined Colossosauria. Carballido et al. placed Nemegtosauridae and Saltasauridae within the group, though they had Aeolosaurini within Colossosauria. The informal cladogram of titanosaur relationships they proposed is shown below.

Menucocelsior is a genus of medium-sized titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Allen Formation of Argentina. The type and only species is Menucocelsior arriagadai.

Teratopodus is an ichnogenus of titanosaurian sauropod footprint. It includes a single species, T. malarguensis, known from prints found in the Late Cretaceous Anacleto Formation of Argentina. The Teratopodus tracks represent some of the best sauropod pes tracks currently known from South America.

<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.

Chubutinectes is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, C. carmeloi, known from a partial skeleton and associated gastroliths.

<i>Koleken</i> Genus of abelisaurid theropod

Koleken is a genus of carnotaurin abelisaurid from the Maastrichtian La Colonia Formation in the Chubut Province of Argentina. The type and only species is K. inakayali, known from one immature specimen about six years old in minimum age.

References

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  2. 1 2 Black, Riley (2024-04-11). "Unprecedented fossils reveal the smallest titanosaur ever found". National Geographic . Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  3. 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 .
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  6. Gasparini, Zulma; Sterli, Juliana; Parras, Ana; O'Gorman, José Patricio; Salgado, Leonardo; Varela, Julio; Pol, Diego (2015), "Late Cretaceous reptilian biota of the La Colonia Formation, central Patagonia, Argentina: Occurrences, preservation and paleoenvironments", Cretaceous Research , 54: 154–168, Bibcode:2015CrRes..54..154G, doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.11.010, hdl: 11336/19244 , retrieved 2019-04-06 ISSN   0195-6671
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