| Clasmodosaurus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Genus: | †Clasmodosaurus Ameghino, 1898 |
| Species: | †C. spatula |
| Binomial name | |
| †Clasmodosaurus spatula Ameghino, 1898 | |
Clasmodosaurus (meaning "fragmentary tooth reptile") is agenus oftitanosauriansauropoddinosaur from theMata Amarilla Formation and theCerro Fortaleza Formation.[1] It lived during theLate Cretaceous in what is nowArgentina. It is known from five fossilized and assorted teeth, but is diagnosed by a unique combination of characters.[1][2]
Clasmodosaurus was named byFlorentino Ameghino in 1898, but remained largely unknown for decades after its discovery.[3] It was originally considered a sauropod, butFriedrich von Huene suggested that it could be acoelurosaur or synonymous withLoncosaurus, which he considered to be acarnosaur.[2] LikeLoncosaurus, its taxonomy remained unclear with it regarded as a theropod on the rare occasions it was mentioned.[2] However,Jaime Powell suggested that it was a dubious genus of sauropod in 1986, an identification which has been accepted since. Like diplodocoids and titanosaurs, it had narrow tooth crowns, and it is typically regarded as a titanosaur like most Late Cretaceous sauropods.[2] More recently, a revision of Ameghino's collection and new discoveries in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation find the taxon to also hail from this formation.[1]
The teeth ofClasmodosaurus spatula were polygonal in cross section rather than round, an unusual trait also found in thetitanosaurBonitasaura salgadoi.[4] However, these teeth are much larger and more robust than those ofBonitasaura, with well-defined longitudinal ridges and grooves, resemblingdiamantinasaur teeth in some aspects.[1]
