A genus and species of sauropod, a titanosaur mimicking rebachisaurid, measuring over 15 meters (50 feet) in length, has been unearthed in Patagonia, Argentina.
The newly discovered dinosaur roamed the Earth during the late Cretaceous period, about 86 million years ago.
dubbing Inawentu Osratusthe animals were of the following types: titanosaurusa diverse group of long-necked sauropods that lived from the Late Jurassic period (163.5 million to 145 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago).
They are known for their large body size, long necks, and wide stance, and include species ranging from the largest known land vertebrates to “dwarfs” as large as elephants. Some species had osteoderm (armor plate).
“During the late Mesozoic Era, sauropod dinosaurs constituted the main herbivores in all terrestrial ecosystems of polar Gondwana,” said paleontologist Leonardo Filippi of Argentina's Municipal Museum of Urquiza and his colleagues.
“Quadrupedal locomotion and a gravitational posture, a proportionately small cranio-body ratio, and a common bow plan consisting of a series of elongated necks and tails made sauropods capable of large size, locomotion, defense, physiology, and feeding. They have evolved a variety of notable adaptations related to food and behavior.”
“They represented, in terms of diversity and abundance, the major medium- to large-sized herbivore component of the fauna in most of these southern landmass.”
partially completed specimen Inawentu Osratus It was recovered from fluvial deposits at the La Invernada archaeological site, part of the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in the Neuquen Basin of Patagonia, Argentina.
“The recovered human bones were found interlocked within a horizon of massive reddish solidified mudstone covered by a thin layer of sand (30 cm thick) associated with flood deposits of the river bank. ' explained the researchers.
Inawentu Osratus It shows remarkable convergent properties of the skull anatomy. rebatisauridae sauropodaccording to the author.
“Inawentu Osratus “It belongs to the square-jawed titanosaur clade and was restricted to the final stages of the Late Cretaceous of South America,” the researchers said.
“The discovery of new materials and different datasets providing new morphological information allows us to provide better support in future phylogenies confirming the existence of this square-jawed titanosaur clade. Become.”
“Inawentu Osratus And perhaps other members of this clade have obvious nutritional adaptations seen in preceding rebatisaurid sauropods, such as broad snouts and relatively short necks. ”
“In this connection, a series of shortened cervix Inawentu Osratus This may be consistent with low browsing feed behavior. ”
“This could have paleoecological implications, such as a zoological alternation in the Gondwanan ecosystem since the Turonian period or a low-browsing diet in two distinct lineages of sauropod dinosaurs.”
team's findings It was published in the magazine Cretaceous research.
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Leonardo S. Filippi other. 2024. Rebachysaurid-mimic titanosaurs and evidence of faunal disturbance events in southwestern Gondwana during the Late Cretaceous. Cretaceous research 154: 105754; doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105754
Source: www.sci.news
