Paleontologists in Patagonia in the north of Argentina have discovered fossils from a small rinconsaurian Titanosaur previously unknown.
Chadititan calvoi. Image credit: Gabriel Lio. This newly discovered dinosaur lived on Earth in the Late Cretaceous period, 78 million year ago. The ancient species, named Chadititan calvoibelongs to a group called Rinconsauria. The group Rinconsauria, which was established by Dr. Federico Agnolin and colleagues in 2007, initially included the genera Rinconsaurus (19459008) and Muyelensaurus (19459008). This clade includes small titanosaurs that are slender and light-weight, with straight legs and a modified pelvic girdle.
The researchers say Chadititan[1945900TheresearchersestimatedthatChadititan was about 7 meters long when compared to the Bonatitan. The new titanosaur shows that rinconsaurians had a different body shape from other titanosaurs. They were characterized with a brachiosaur like posture, gracile limbs and a protonic tail. The scientists reported that the new site is within the Marin Family Farm. It is 10 kilometers southwest of General Roca, close to the Paso Cordoba Locality. The scientists noted that despite the small size of these outcrops they produced a lot of fossils. The authors speculated that the absence of osteoderms in other rinconsaurians could be due to their titanosaur ancestors. This assemblage of fossils includes turtles, dinosaurs (including crocodiles), snails, and clams. They were found in a pond that was otherwise dry, with sand-dunes and palm trees. “The fossils we identified of mollusks, fish, and turtles, enriches our understanding of this ancient ecosystem, as well as expanding our knowledge of life in Patagonia near the end of the dinosaur era,” said Dr. Diego Pol, National Geographic The presence of turtles in this area, along with the scarcity of crocodiles in Europe or North America, is what sets the Patagonian environment apart. This team’s article was published by the Revista del Museo Argentino Ciencias Naturales ( ) journal.
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Federico L. Agnolin et al. 2024. A new fossil locality in northern Patagonia from the Anacleto Formation, Late Cretaceous (Campanian), with a description of a titanosaur. Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat 26 (2): 217-259; doi: 10.22179/revmacn.26.885
