| Chubutisaurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Drawing of the scapula | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Somphospondyli |
| Genus: | †Chubutisaurus del Corro, 1975 |
| Type species | |
| †Chubutisaurus insignis del Corro, 1975 | |
Chubutisaurus (meaning "Chubut lizard") is agenus ofsomphospondylansauropod dinosaur from theLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Cerro Barcino Formation of Argentina.[1] Thetype species,Chubutisaurus insignis, was described by del Corro in 1975.[2][3]Chubutisaurus had a more robust radius thanVenenosaurus.[4] In 2010Gregory S. Paul gave a length of 18 metres (59 ft) and a weight of 12 tonnes (13 short tons).[5]Thomas Holtz estimated its length at 23 metres (75 ft) in 2012.[6]
Fossils ofChubutisaurus were first discovered in 1961 by Mr. Martinez, a local farmer nearEl Escorial village inChubut Province,Patagonia in central Argentina. In 1965, these fossils were collected bypaleontologistGuillermo del Corro through the use of dynamite and then cataloged at theMuseo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales under MACN 18222. Thestrata these fossils derive from corresponds to the Bayo Overo Member of theCerro Barcino Formation, which dates to theCenomanian age (100-98mya) of the earlyLate Cretaceous period. In 1975, del Corroscientifically described the remains and assigned them to a newgenus andspecies of sauropod, which he namedChubutisaurus insignis. The generic nameChubutisaurus derives from Chubut, the province the fossils were found in, and theLatin root "sauros" meaning "lizard", a common suffix for dinosaur names. The specific nameinsignis comes from the Latin"insignis" meaning "remarkable".[2][1][7]
Theholotype (name-bearing) specimen ofChubutisaurus comes from a single incomplete and disarticulated individual which was unearthed over several expeditions. The remains initially collected in 1965 included fragments ofdorsal (back)vertebrae, asacral vertebra, elevencaudal (tail)centrum, a leftfemur,tibia,humerus,ulna,radius, fourmetacarpals, and several appendicular fragments.[1] However, del Corro did not describe or correctly identify many of these elements in his description.[2][1] In 1993, paleontologist Leonardo Salgado redescribedChubutisaurus and reinterpreted it as an indeterminate sauropod.[7] In 1991, an expedition to Chubut, with the help of Mr. Martinez's son, relocated the quarry where the holotype was found. In excavations in 1991 and 2007, many new remains were unearthed including: several dorsal vertebrae fragments, a caudal vertebra,ribs, andchevrons. In 2011, these fossils, along with previously undescribed elements, were described in detail by paleontologist Jose Carballido and colleagues who concluded that they all belonged to the holotype individual. Parts of the holotype such as the femur and tibia, were donated to theMuseo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanografía and deposited under CHMO-901 and CHMO-565. The fossils unearthed by the 1991 and 2007 trips were cataloged at theMuseo Paleontológico ‘Egidio Feruglio’ under MPEF-PV 1129, meaning that the holotype ofChubutisaurus is deposited in three institutions.[1][8]
Data related toChubutisaurus at Wikispecies | Thissauropodomorph-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
