Argentinosaurus
Argentinosaurus | |
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Reconstructed skeleton, Museo Municipal Carmen Funes, Plaza Huincul, Argentina. The original vertebrae are seen on the lower left | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
Clade: | †Sauropoda |
Clade: | †Macronaria |
Clade: | †Titanosauria |
Clade: | †Lognkosauria |
Genus: | †Argentinosaurus Bonaparte & Coria , 1993
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Type species | |
†Argentinosaurus huinculensis Bonaparte & Coria, 1993
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Argentinosaurus is a
The first Argentinosaurus bone was discovered in 1987 by a farmer on his farm near the city of
The fragmentary nature of Argentinosaurus remains makes their interpretation difficult. Arguments revolve around the position of the recovered vertebrae within the vertebral column and the presence of accessory articulations between the vertebrae that would have strengthened the spine. A computer model of the skeleton and muscles estimated this dinosaur had a maximum speed of 7 km/h (5 mph) with a
Discovery
The first Argentinosaurus bone, which is now thought to be a
Separating fossils from the very hard rock in which the bones were encased required the use of pneumatic hammers.
Bonaparte presented the new find in 1989 at a scientific conference in
Description
Size
Argentinosaurus is among the largest known land animals, although its exact size is difficult to estimate because of the incompleteness of its remains.[8] To counter this problem, palaeontologists can compare the known material with that of smaller related sauropods known from more complete remains. The more complete taxon can then be scaled up to match the dimensions of Argentinosaurus. Mass can be estimated from known relationships between certain bone measurements and body mass, or through determining the volume of models.[9]
A reconstruction of Argentinosaurus created by
Paul estimated a body mass of 80–100 tonnes (88–110 short tons) for Argentinosaurus in 1994.[10] In 2004, Mazzetta and colleagues provided a range of 60–88 tonnes (66–97 short tons) and considered 73 tonnes (80 short tons) to be the most likely mass, making it the heaviest sauropod known from good material.[5] In 2013, Sellers and colleagues estimated a mass of 83.2 tonnes (91.7 short tons) by calculating the volume of the aforementioned Museo Carmen Funes skeleton.[14] In 2014 and 2018, Roger Benson and colleagues estimated the mass of Argentinosaurus at 90 and 95 tonnes (99 and 105 short tons),[17][18] but these estimates were questioned due to a very large error range and lack of precision.[19] In 2016, using equations that estimate body mass based on the circumference of the humerus and femur of quadrupedal animals, Bernardo Gonzáles Riga and colleagues estimated a mass of 96.4 tonnes (106.3 short tons) based on an isolated femur; it is uncertain whether this femur actually belongs to Argentinosaurus.[20] In the same year, Paul moderated his earlier estimate from 1994 and listed the body mass of Argentinosaurus at more than 50 tonnes (55 short tons).[16] In 2019, Paul moderated his 2016 estimate and gave a mass estimate of 65–75 tonnes (72–83 short tons) based on his skeletal reconstructions (diagrams illustrating the bones and shape of an animal) of Argentinosaurus in dorsal and lateral view.[7] In 2020, Campione and Evans also yielded a body mass estimate of approximately 75 tonnes (83 short tons).[19] In 2023, Paul and Larramendi proposed that the holotype would have weighed between 75–80 metric tons (83–88 short tons) at maximum. They further suggested that the enigmatic, fragmentary Bruhathkayosaurus possibly weighed more, between 110 and 130 tonnes (120 and 140 short tons).[21]
While Argentinosaurus was definitely a massive animal, there is disagreement over whether it was the largest known titanosaur. Puertasaurus, Futalognkosaurus,
Vertebrae
Argentinosaurus likely possessed 10 dorsal vertebrae, like other titanosaurs.[7] The vertebrae were enormous even for sauropods; one dorsal vertebra has a reconstructed height of 159 centimetres (63 in) and a width of 129 centimetres (51 in), and the vertebral centra are up to 57 centimetres (22 in) in width.[2] In 2019, Paul estimated the total length of the dorsal vertebral column at 447 centimetres (176 in) and the width of the pelvis at 0.6 times the combined length of the dorsal and sacral vertebral column.[7] The dorsals were opisthocoelous (concave at the rear) as in other macronarian sauropods.[2][6]: 205 The pleurocoels (excavations on the sides of the centra) were proportionally small and positioned in the front half of the centrum.[29]: 102 The vertebrae were internally lightened by a complex pattern of numerous air-filled chambers. Such camellate bone is, among sauropods, especially pronounced in the largest and longest-necked species.[30][31] In both the dorsal and sacral vertebrae, very large cavities measuring 4 to 6 centimetres (1.6 to 2.4 in) were present.[30] The dorsal ribs were tubular and cylindrical in shape, in contrast with other titanosaurs.[2][32]: 309 Bonaparte and Coria, in their 1993 description, noted the ribs were hollow, unlike those of many other sauropods, but later authors argued this hollowing could also have been due to erosion after the death of the individual.[6] Argentinosaurus, like many titanosaurs,[33] probably had six sacral vertebrae (those in the hip region), although the last one is not preserved. The centra of the second to fifth sacral vertebrae were much reduced in size and considerably smaller than the centrum of the first sacral. The sacral ribs curved downwards. The second sacral rib was larger than the other preserved sacral ribs, though the size of the first is unknown due to its incompleteness.[2]
Because of their incomplete preservation, the original position of the known dorsal vertebrae within the vertebral column is disputed. Dissenting configurations were suggested by Bonaparte and Coria in 1993; Fernando Novas and Martín Ezcurra in 2006; and Leonardo Salgado and Jaime Powell in 2010. One vertebra was interpreted by these studies as the first, fifth or third; and another vertebra as the second, tenth or eleventh, or ninth, respectively. A reasonably complete vertebra was found to be the third by the 1993 and 2006 studies, but the fourth by the 2010 study. Another vertebra was interpreted by the three studies as being part of the rear section of the dorsal vertebral column, as the fourth, or as the fifth, respectively. In 1993, two articulated (still connected) vertebrae were thought to be of the rear part of the dorsal column but are interpreted as the sixth and seventh vertebrae in the two later studies. The 2010 study mentioned another vertebra that was not mentioned by the 1993 and 2006 studies; it was presumed to belong to the rear part of the dorsal column.[2][34][1]
Another contentious issue is the presence of
Limbs
The complete femur that was assigned to Argentinosaurus is 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long. The femoral shaft has a circumference of about 1.18 metres (3.9 ft) at its narrowest part. Mazzetta and colleagues used regression equations to estimate its original length at 2.557 metres (8.39 ft), which is similar to the length of the other femur, and later in 2019 Paul gave a similar estimate of 2.575 metres (8.45 ft).[7] By comparison, the complete femora preserved in the other giant titanosaurs Antarctosaurus giganteus and Patagotitan mayorum measure 2.35 metres (7.7 ft) and 2.38 metres (7.8 ft), respectively.[5][8] While the holotype specimen does not preserve a femur, it preserves a slender fibula (originally interpreted as a tibia) that is 1.55 metres (5.1 ft) in length. When it was identified as a tibia, it was thought to have a comparatively short cnemial crest, a prominent extension at the upper front that anchored muscles for stretching the leg. However, as stated by Mazzetta and colleagues, this bone lacks both the proportions and anatomical details of a tibia, while being similar in shape to other sauropod fibulae.[2][5]
Classification
Relationships within Titanosauria are amongst the least understood of all groups of dinosaurs.
In 1997, Salgado and colleagues found Argentinosaurus to belong to Titanosauridae in an unnamed
In 2004, Upchurch and colleagues introduced a new group called
Another 2018 study by Hesham Sallam and colleagues found two different phylogenetic positions for Argentinosaurus based on two data sets. They did not recover it as a lognkosaurian but as either a basal titanosaur or a sister taxon of the more derived Epachthosaurus.[48] In 2019, Julian Silva Junior and colleagues found Argentinosaurus to belong to Lognkosauria once again; they recovered Lognkosauria and Rinconsauria (another group generally included in Titanosauria) to be outside Titanosauria.[49] Another 2019 study by González Riga and colleagues also found Argentinosaurus to belong to Lognkosauria; they found this group to form a larger clade with Rinconsauria within Titanosauria, which they named Colossosauria.[50]
Topology according to Carballido and colleagues, 2017.[8] |
Topology according to González Riga and colleagues, 2019.[50]
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Palaeobiology
The giant size of Argentinosaurus and other sauropods was likely made possible by a combination of factors; these include fast and energy-efficient feeding allowed for by the long neck and lack of mastication, fast growth and fast population recovery due to their many small offspring. Advantages of giant sizes would likely have included the ability to keep food inside the digestive tract for lengthy periods to extract a maximum of energy, and increased protection against predators.
In 2013, Sellers and colleagues used a computer model of the skeleton and muscles of Argentinosaurus to study its speed and gait. Before computer simulations, the only way of estimating speeds of dinosaurs was through studying anatomy and trackways. The computer model was based on a laser scan of a mounted skeletal reconstruction on display at the Museo Carmen Funes. Muscles and their properties were based on comparisons with living animals; the final model had a mass of 83 tonnes (91 short tons). Using computer simulation and machine learning techniques, which found a combination of movements that minimised energy requirements, the digital Argentinosaurus learned to walk. The optimal gait found by the algorithms was close to a pace (forelimb and hind limb on the same side of the body move simultaneously).[14] The model reached a top speed of just over 2 m/s (7.2 km/h, 5 mph).[54] The authors concluded with its giant size, Argentinosaurus reached a functional limit. Much larger terrestrial vertebrates might be possible but would require different body shapes and possibly behavioural change to prevent joint collapse. The authors of the study cautioned the model is not fully realistic and too simplistic, and that it could be improved in many areas. For further studies, more data from living animals is needed to improve the soft tissue reconstruction, and the model needs to be confirmed based on more complete sauropod specimens.[14]
Palaeoenvironment
Argentinosaurus was discovered in the Argentine Province of
Fossilised pollen indicates a wide variety of plants were present in the Huincul Formation. A study of the El Zampal section of the formation found
In addition to Argentinosaurus, the
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External links
- Media related to Argentinosaurus at Wikimedia Commons