Malawisaurus
Malawisaurus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous
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Display at the Royal Ontario Museum | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
Clade: | †Sauropoda |
Clade: | †Macronaria |
Clade: | †Titanosauria |
Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
Genus: | †Malawisaurus Jacobs et al., 1993 |
Species: | †M. dixeyi
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Binomial name | |
†Malawisaurus dixeyi (Haughton, 1928) [originally Gigantosaurus, preoccupied]
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Synonyms | |
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Malawisaurus (meaning "
Discovery and naming
Malawisaurus dixeyi was originally described in 1928 by
Malawisaurus is not known outside of Africa - however, an isolated tooth resembles those associated with Malawisaurus and was found in the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)-aged Alcântara Formation of Brazil according to a report in 2007.[4] It is currently listed as "Titanosauria indet., possibly Malawisaurus .sp".[4]
Description
Relatively small by sauropod standards, Malawisaurus reached lengths of about 15 metres (49 ft), and weighed about 10 tonnes (11 short tons).[5] In 2020 it was given a smaller estimation of 11 meters (36 ft) and 2.8 tonnes (3.1 short tons).[6] Like some other titanosaurs, ossicles have been found which are believed to represent dermal scutes that covered the skin.
The vertebrae from the middle part of its tail had elongated centra.[7] Malawisaurus had vertebral lateral fossae that resembled shallow depressions.[8] Fossae that similarly resemble shallow depressions are known from Saltasaurus, Alamosaurus, Aeolosaurus, and Gondwanatitan.[8]
Classification
By definition, Malawisaurus has to be the most basal lithostrotian. The cladogram below follows Franca et al. (2016).[9]
Lithostrotia |
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See also
References
- ^ Dixey, F. (1925). The discovery of fossil reptiles. Annual Report of the Geological Survey Department for the Year 1924, Nyasaland Protectorate 1924:7
- PMID 30759166.
- ^ L. L. Jacobs, D. A. Winkler, W. R. Downs and E. M. Gomani. 1993. New material of an Early Cretaceous titanosaurid sauropod dinosaur from Malawi. Palaeontology 36(3):523-534
- ^ a b Freire, Pedro Carvalho; Medeiros, Manuel Alfredo; Lindoso, Rafael Matos (2007). "Sauropod teeth diversity in the Laje do Coringa fossiliferous site, Eocenomanian of Northeastern Brazil". Paleontologia: Cenários de Vida: 523–532.
- ^ Paul, G.S., 2010, The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Princeton University Press p. 207
- Bibcode:2020dffs.book.....M.
- ^ "Caudal Vertebrae," Tidwell, Carpenter, and Meyer (2001). Page 145.
- ^ a b "Caudal Vertebrae," Tidwell, Carpenter, and Meyer (2001). Page 147.
- PMID 27330853.
Footnotes
- S. H. Haughton. 1928. On some reptilian remains from the Dinosaur Beds of Nyasaland. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 16:67-75
- Paul, Gregory S. (2010) The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs.
- Tidwell, V., Carpenter, K. & Meyer, S. 2001. New Titanosauriform (Sauropoda) from the Poison Strip Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Utah. In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life. D. H. Tanke & K. Carpenter (eds.). Indiana University Press, Eds. D.H. Tanke & K. Carpenter. Indiana University Press. 139-165.