Futalognkosaurus

Futalognkosaurus
Drawing reconstruction of Futalognkosaurus dukei
Temporal occurrence
Upper Cretaceous (late Turonian )
91.4 to 89.7 million years
Locations
Argentina , Neuquén ( Portezuelo Formation )
Systematics
Neosauropoda Macronaria Titanosauriformes Titanosaurs (Titanosauria) Lognkosauria Futalognkosaurus
Scientific name
Futalognkosaurus
Calvo , Porfiri , González-Riga , & Kellner , 2007
Art
Futalognkosaurus dukei

Futalognkosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the group of Titanosauria from the Upper Cretaceous of South America ( Patagonia ).

So far, a single skeleton is known, almost 70% of which has been preserved and consists of the cervical and back spine, ribs and pelvic bones. With an estimated length of 32 to 34 meters, Futalognkosaurus was one of the largest known dinosaurs. In the first description , the find is called " the most complete giant dinosaur known so far " (for example: " the most complete giant dinosaur known so far "). The only species is Futalognkosaurus dukei .

features

Futalognkosaurus can be distinguished from other genera by a combination of eight diagnostic features. For example, the spinous process of the first cervical vertebra (atlas) was high and triangular. The posterior cervical vertebrae show spinous processes that are concave on the posterior side. The second and third sacral ribs were also fused together.

Systematics

In their phylogenetic analysis, Calvo and his co-authors consider Futalognkosaurus to be a basal (original) representative of the Titanosauridae (= Lithostrotia ) and a close relative of Mendozasaurus . Mendozasaurus and Futalognkosaurus combine the researchers into a new group, the Lognkosauria . The sister group of the Lognkosauria is Malawisaurus . The Traukutitan described in 2011 could be another, late representative of the Lognkosauria.

Find, pathology and naming

The first fossil remains (the cervical vertebra of a sauropod) were found in March 2000 on the north bank of the Los Barreales reservoir in the Argentine province of Neuquén . In the following years, more than a thousand fossils were collected at this unique, 400 square meter site in the Futalognko quarry , which, thanks to their diversity, enables a partial reconstruction of a hitherto unknown continental ecosystem . Other dinosaur fossils from this site include the remains of two other, unknown sauropod species, remains of ornithopods, and remains of the coelurosaurs Megaraptor and Unenlagia . Among the finds were also turn-neck turtles (Pleurodira), crocodiles and other vertebrates.

The site belongs to the Portezuelo Formation , a geological formation of the Neuquén Group , and is dated to the late Turonian to early Coniacian .

The location in the open-minded sedimentary rocks were from a meandering river deposited. There were also indications of a cut oxbow lake of the river at the site. The researchers suspect that the Futalognkosaurus individual died near the river and may have been partially dissected by carnivores such as crocodiles or the theropods Unenlagia and Megaraptor . A major flood event could have washed the carcass into the river bed, where, due to its enormous size, it acted as a kind of barrier and further organic material accumulated. The river could have changed its course later and left an oxbow behind the Futalognkosaurus carcass. Fossils of fish indicate that they were probably trapped in the oxbow lake that formed.

The excavation work on the Futalognkosaurus skeleton was completed in 2005. In 2007, Calvo and colleagues published the first scientific description of a new genus and species of Titanosauria, which they named Futalognkosaurus dukei . The name of the genus was derived from the locality, which in the local language Mapudungun futa means 'giant' and lognko 'chief'. It is supplemented by the Greek sauros 'lizard'. The epithet of the type species is named after the Duke Energy Argentina Company , which sponsored the excavation in 2002 and 2003 .

source

• Jorge O. Calvo , Juan D. Porfiri, Bernardo J. Gonzáles-Riga, Alexander WA Kellner: A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur. In: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. Vol. 79, No. 3, 2007, ISSN  0001-3765 , pp. 529-541, digital version (PDF; 836.43 kB) .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Gregory S. Paul : The Princeton Field Guide To Dinosaurs. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ et al. 2010, ISBN 978-0-691-13720-9 , p. 207, online .
2. ↑ ^{a b} Jorge O. Calvo , Juan D. Porfiri, Bernardo J. González Riga, Alexander WA Kellner: Anatomy of Futalognkosaurus dukei Calvo, Porfiri, González Riga, & Kellner, 2007 (Dinosauria, Titanosauridae) from the Neuquen Group, Late Cretaceous , Patagonia, Argentina. In: Arquivos do Museu Nacional. Vol. 65, No. 4, 2007, ISSN  0365-4508 , pp. 511-526, digitized version (PDF; 21.68 MB) ( Memento of the original from July 30, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
3. ^ Ruben D. Juárez Valieri, Jorge O. Calvo: Revision of MUCPv 204, a Senonian basal titanosaur from northern Patagonia. In: Jorge Calvo, Juan Porfiri, Bernardo González Riga, Domenica Dos Santos (eds.): Paleontología y dinosaurios desde América Latina (= Series Documentos y Testimonios. Aportes. No. 24). EDIUNC, Mendoza 2011, ISBN 978-950-39-0265-3 , pp. 143–152, online (PDF; 612.13 MB) ( Memento of the original of July 6, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically used and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
4. ↑ Mapa Mostrando el yacimiento Futalognko. Fig. 1 from C. Veralli, JO Calvo: Teeth of carcharodontosauridos teropodos of the Upper Turonian-Lower Coniaciano of Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina. 2004 (on researchgate.net).

Web links

• The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved October 4, 2007 .