| Liaoningotitan | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Family: | †Euhelopodidae |
| Genus: | †Liaoningotitan Zhou et al.,2018 |
| Species: | †L. sinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Liaoningotitan sinensis Zhou et al., 2018 | |
Liaoningotitan (meaning "Liaoning giant") is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian)Yixian Formation in Liaoning, China. A redescription of the holotype proposed affinities ofLiaoningotitan with theEuhelopodidae.
Liaoningotitan is a medium-sized sauropod, with an estimated body length of 10 metres (33 ft) and shoulder height of 2 metres (6.6 ft) based on comparisons with the closely relatedEuhelopus.[1] Distinguishing features ofLiaoningotitan include a ventral margin of the maxilla that is convex, an upper tooth row that is short and anteriorly positioned; an anterior extension of the jugal that nearly reaches the level of the anterior margin of the antorbital fenestra; a basally constricted quadrate wing of the pterygoid; imbricated upper teeth, with narrow spatulate crowns that are D-shaped in cross section, and no labial grooves or denticles; nine reduced and un-imbricated lower teeth; asymmetric lower tooth crowns which are elliptical-like in cross section, with lingual grooves and ridges and a lingually bulbous basal crown; a proximal expansion of the humerus that is about 54.9% the length of the humerus; and an ilium with a pointed preacetabular process.[2]
Zhou et al. (2018) recoveredLiaoningotitan as a somphospondylantitanosauriform more derived thanEuhelopus.[2] In 2022, Mo et al. foundLiaoningotitan to be an unstable taxon that may be closely related toDiamantinasaurus andBaotianmansaurus.[3] In a 2025 redescription of the holotype specimen, Bingqing Shan proposed thatLiaoningotitan was a member of theEuhelopodidae, as thesister taxon toYongjinglong. These results are displayed in thecladogram below:[1]
Liaoningotitan is one of three titanosauriforms from theYixian Formation ofLiaoning, the others beingDongbeititan andRuixinia.[3] These forms co-existed with feathered dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous lacustrine environment of present-day Liaoning.[2]
