New genus and species of Titanosaurus have been identified from fossilized sites found in the Hayeg Basin, Transylvania, western Romania.
The newly identified species was alive Haeg IslandA large subtropical land located in the Thetis Sea about 70 million years ago (Cretaceous).
dubbing uriash kadicithe animals belong to Lithostrotiaa group of titanosaurus dinosaurs containing many armored species.
“The sauropod dinosaurs on Titanosaurus include the largest animal walking on land, with a huge species of over 60 tons,” says Paleoliths at the Museum of Fool Naturkunde, a Livenitz Installation Fool Evolution. said Dr. Veronica Dees Diaz, a scholar. colleague.
“By the late Cretaceous, Titanosaurus had achieved almost global distribution.
“Despite the rich and global fossil record, the evolutionary relationships of Titanosaurus are less known, limiting our understanding with this diverse megaharbibaud (the only group of sauropods is , the only group to survive the latest Cretaceous period).
“European giants in particular have been largely ignored in phylogenetic analysis,” they said.
“This neglect comes mainly from the historical advantages of the Gondwana species and the rarity and imperfection of Laurasian artefacts, particularly from Europe.”
“However, this began to change with the combination of reassessment of existing species and specimens and the discovery of new sites with distinct partial skeletons.”
“As a result, the fossil records of the most recent Cretaceous European sauropods are increasingly important for biogeographical scenarios, and rich evolutionary history is increasingly recognized for increasing incorporation into phylogenetic analysis. It is beginning to make clear.
Holotype of uriash kadici It was discovered in the formation of density in the Hayeg Basin, Romania.
Dinosaurs are estimated to weigh between 5 to 8 tons and their body length is close to 12 m.
“uriash kadici It is the largest titanosaurus species known from the Ha eg basin, exceeding the maximum reached by most other late Cretaceous European Titanosaurus. Abitosaurus (Estimated at 14 tons and 17.5 m long)”, the paleontologist said.
The existence of large giants such as ” uriash kadici It is worth noting and requires explanation as it appears to contradict, or at least weaken, the supposed behavior of “island domination” over these faunas. ”
uriash kadici It coexists with three other Titanosaurus species. Majarosaurus Dax, PaluditiTan nalatzensis and Petrustitan Hungarian.
The diversity was probably even higher, as evidenced by the substantial amounts of fossils involved.
“Our phylogenetic analysis shows that these Transylvanian titanosaurus exhibit particularly close relationships with Gondwana species. Majarosaurus Retrieved as a member or relative of the Saltasauria family. Palditian Affinity with lognkosauria and the Spanish Titanosaurus that were almost the same era Lohuecotitan; Petrustitan It is most closely related to early branched eutitanosaurian species in South America. and Uriash We share a unique feature with Gondwanan Titanosaurs,” they said.
“These analyses also reinforce the paleobiogeographic hypothesis that the latest Cretaceous European giants were members of the Gondwana lineage that invaded the old regions during the ages of Valemia and Albia.”
“Since the first discovery, Majarosaurus Dax The island's dwarfs have been identified as star sauropods, proposed as explanations for the small size of this species and other dinosaurs on Hayeg Island. ”
“on the other hand Palditian and Petrustitan It is also a small body sauropod. Uriash It is several orders of magnitude heavier and represents one of the largest Titanosaurus species found in the Late Cretaceous period of Europe. ”
“We have shown that the existence of this body size disparity is ecologically excluded from body size reduction due to competition with small-body titanosaurus, or as evidence that some lineages and small We interpret it as evidence that it occurred early in stratigraphically among the giants of the body. Hayeg Island has descendants of existing dwarf ancestors.”
“In contrast to some previous studies, signs of titanosaurus leaving the body size, including swapping the War star species for larger-sized species during the top Cretaceous period of the Transylvanian region. I can't see it.”
Discovery of uriash kadici Reported in a paper It was released this month Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
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Veronica Dies Dias et al. 2025. The Romanian sauropod dinosaur revision reveals high titanosaurus diversity and body size disparities on Hayeg Island of Titanosaurus, affecting the biogeography of Titanosaurus. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1): 2441516; doi: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2441516
Source: www.sci.news
