| Losillasaurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| L. giganteus vertebra | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Turiasauria |
| Genus: | †Losillasaurus Casanovaset al., 2001 |
| Species: | †L. giganteus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Losillasaurus giganteus Casanovaset al., 2001 | |
Losillasaurus (meaning "Losilla lizard") is agenus ofturiasauriansauropoddinosaur from theLate Jurassic and possiblyEarly Cretaceous (Kimmeridgian-?Berriasian) of southeasternSpain. Thetype species,Losillasaurus giganteus, was discovered in theVillar del Arzobispo Formation inValencia, and formally described by Casanovas, Santafé, and Sanz in 2001. Theholotype material is from a subadult and includes part of askull; complete cervical, dorsal, sacral, and caudalvertebrae as well as several fragments; skeletal elements from thelimbs including ahumerus,ulna,radius, andmetacarpal;sternal plates; and from thepelvis: theilium,ischium, andpubis. The genus is characterized by the dimension and shape of theneural spine of the proximal caudal vertebrae.[1][2] The humerus is 143 centimetres (56 in) long,[3] which despite being from a subadult specimen is within 20% of the size ofParalititan.[4] The size estimation proposed by Francisco Gascó in his master thesis is 15–18 m (49–59 ft) in length and 12–15 t (13–17 short tons) in body mass.[5]
Several specimens ofL. giganteus were described in 2019 and 2020 - one such specimen (SHN 180) consists of a single anterior caudal vertebra, while another (the holotype) consists of a partial skull with teeth and partial postcranial skeleton.[6] According toRafael Royo-Torreset al., the specimen helps scientists to understand tooth variation, allows the positioning of isolated heart-shaped teeth in the skull and demonstrates heterodonty in Turiasauria.[7]
