| Maxakalisaurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reconstructed skeleton | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
| Genus: | †Maxakalisaurus Kellner et al.,2006 |
| Species: | †M. topai |
| Binomial name | |
| †Maxakalisaurus topai Kellner et al., 2006 | |
Maxakalisaurus is agenus oftitanosaurdinosaur, found in theAdamantina Formation of Brazil, in the state ofMinas Gerais in 1998. The genus name is derived from the tribe of theMaxakali; Topa is one of their divinities.[1]
Over the course of four field seasons, from 1998 to 2002, theNational Museum of Brazil excavated a partial skeleton of a titanosaur along the Campina Verde - Prata road, 45 km to the west ofPrata, Minas Gerais. In 2006, a team led by Alexander W. A. Kellner described the remains as a new genus and species of sauropod,Maxakalisaurus topai. The genus name honors theMaxakali, an ethnic group indigenous to the region, and the species name refers to the Maxakali deity Topa.[1]
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Fossils ofMaxakalisaurus topai are known from theAdamantina Formation. Theholotype, MN 5013-V, washoused at the National Museum of Brazil.[1][2] It included a fragmentary rightmaxilla with teeth, twelvecervical vertebrae and some cervical ribs, sevendorsal vertebrae and some dorsal ribs, a neural spine and centrum from thesacrum, sixcaudal vertebrae, somehaemal arches, pieces of thescapulae, bothsternal plates, part of the leftischium, bothhumeri, twometacarpals, part of thefibula, anosteoderm, and some unidentified pieces. Two other sternal plates and part of a third scapula were also found at the site, and are considered to belong to a second individual.[1] Some of the elements from the type locality pertained to an adult individual and others pertained to a subadult individual.[3] A partial dentary and some teeth were subsequently recovered from the type locality and are also considered to belong toM. topai.[4] Some elements of the holotype were lost in theNational Museum of Brazil fire on 2 September 2018, but several elements survived the fire and were recovered.[3]
Maxakalisaurus is considered a medium-sized titanosaur.[1][5]The type specimen ofMaxakalisaurus belonged to an animal about 12.1 meters (40 feet) long, with an estimated weight of 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons).[1][6] It had a long neck and tail, ridged teeth (unusual among sauropods) and lived about 80 million years ago. Because sauropods seem to have lacked significant competition inSouth America, they evolved there with greater diversity and more unusual traits than elsewhere in the world. Like many other titanosaurs,Maxakalisaurus had osteoderms.[1]
França et al.'s 2016 description of the second specimen also included a phylogenetic analysis, which placedMaxakalisaurus as a basal member of theAeolosaurini. Their cladogram is shown below:[4]
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