New Cretaceous Sauropod:
ROSE

Plain-Language &
Multilingual  Abstracts

Abstract

Introduction

Systematic Paleontology

Description

Discussion

Cladistic Analysis

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix 4

Test

Print article

 
 

A NEW TITANOSAURIFORM SAUROPOD (DINOSAURIA: SAURISCHIA) FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF CENTRAL TEXAS AND ITS PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

ABSTRACT

A collection of primitive titanosauriform sauropods from the Jones Ranch locality, Early Cretaceous Twin Mountains Formation (~112 Ma), central Texas, represents one of the richest accumulations of sauropod bones in North America. Autapomorphic characters of the taxon include cranial and mid-caudal neural arches with distinct intraprezygapophyseal laminae (tprl), accessory vertebral laminae on cranial dorsal neural arches, and dorsal neural spines that lack a postspinal lamina.

Non-vertebral skeletal elements referred to the genus Pleurocoelus from the Arundel Formation of Maryland and Virginia possess some diagnostic morphological characteristics and can be compared with the Jones Ranch sauropod. The latter differs from Pleurocoelus in the shape of the caudoventral margin of the maxilla, the shape of the distal scapular blade, and the shape of the proximal condyle of the tibia. The Jones Ranch sauropod is also morphologically distinct from all other sauropods described and named from the Early Cretaceous of North America.

Cladistic analysis places this sauropod within Titanosauriformes. The Texas sauropod does not possess synapomorphies of Somphospondyli, and derived characters that have been used to define the Titanosauria are also absent, affirming its placement as a basal titanosauriform. The new taxon from Texas is known from more material than any other North American Early Cretaceous sauropod. Description of the taxon increases the diversity of sauropods in North America during the Early Cretaceous and provides more complete, associated material that can be compared to new discoveries from this time period.

Peter J. Rose. Department of Geological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
Current address: Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.

KEY WORDS: Cretaceous, Early; sauropod; Titanosauriformes; new genus; new species; cladistics

PE Article Number: 10.2.8A
Copyright: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology August 2007
Submission: 20 February 2007. Acceptance: 10 January 2007

 

Next Section

New Cretaceous Sauropod
Plain-Language & Multilingual  Abstracts | Abstract | Introduction | Systematic Paleontology
Description | Discussion | Cladistc Analysis | Conclusions | Acknowledgements | References
Appendix 1 | Appendix 2 | Appendix 3 | Appendix 4
Print article