Bruhathkayosaurus

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Bruhathkayosaurus is the name of a dinosaur - genus , 1987 by two Indian Paleontologists from the Kallamedu formation ( Maastrichtium ) from South India with the type species bruhathkayosaurus matleyi described. The type material, apparently never recovered from the site, was lost in 2011 as a result of a flood of rain. Even before that, there were serious doubts as to whether these finds actually belonged to a fossil animal, or whether it was fossilized wood instead. The second edition of the comprehensive dinosaur compendium The Dinosauria ,published in 2004,lists Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi as the noun dubium .

According to the first description, the type material of Bruhathkayosaurus consisted of a forearm bone ( radius ), two pelvic bones ( iliac and ischium ), part of the femur , a shin and caudal vertebrae. Originally, these pieces were interpreted as the remains of a large theropod . However, a third Indian paleontologist who had subsequently examined the material identified it as a member of the Titanosauridae .

Whether these fossils were petrified bones or petrified wood could only have been determined through histological examinations due to their poor state of preservation . Since this is no longer possible due to the loss of the material, this question remains unanswered forever.

If it were actually the remains of a titanosaurid, it would have been one of the largest land creatures in Earth's history . Based on the dimensions of the supposed bones, its length was estimated to be 40 meters, with a height of about 8-10 meters and a weight of 139 tons.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ P. Yadagiri, K. Ayyasami: A carnosaurian dinosaur from the Kallamedu Formation (Maestrichtian horizon), Tamilnadu. Geological Survey of India, Special Publication Vol. 11, 1987, pp. 523-528.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Matthew Martyniuk: Bruhathkayosaurus is Dead. Again. Dino Goss - a blog about stem-birds, December 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ P. Upchurch, PM Barrett, P. Dodson: Sauropoda. Pp. 259–322 in: DB Weishampel, H. Osmólska, P. Dodson (eds.): The Dinosauria (2nd edition). University of California Press, Berkeley 2004, ISBN 0-520-24209-2 , p. 270.
  4. ↑ Matt Wedel: SV-POW! showdown: sauropods vs whales. Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week (blog) May 20, 2008.