Paleontologists in Argentina have discovered fossil fragments from a new genus and species of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaur that walked the Earth more than 90 million years ago.
The newly-discovered dinosaur lived in what is now Argentina during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch, between 96 and 93 million years ago.
Scientifically named Sidersaura marae, the ancient beast was up to 20 m in length, had an estimated mass of 15 tons, and had a very long tai .
The animal belongs to Rebbachisauridae, a large family of sauropod dinosaurs known from fragmentary fossil remains from South America, Africa, North America, Europe and Asia .
Rebbachisaurids are distinguished from other sauropods by their distinctive teeth. Some species had tooth batteries, similar to those of hadrosaur and ceratopsian dinosaurs.
“Rebbachisaurids were very important dinosaurs in Cretaceous ecosystems and disappeared in the middle of this period in an extinction event that took place 90 million years ago,” said Dr. Lucas Nicolás Lerzo, a paleontologist at Fundación Azara – Universidad Maimónides and CONICET, and his colleagues .
“Sidersaura marae is one of the last rebbachisaurids, but at the same time it belongs to an ancient lineage in evolutionary terms.
This shows us that at the end of their time some of early rebbachisaurids survived, and that these were the largest of their group, given that they could reach nearly 20 m in length”.
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| Sidersaura marae fossil. Image credit: Lerzo et al., doi: |
The fossilized bones of Sidersaura marae were recovered from rocks of the Huincul Formation of Neuquén province, Patagonia, Argentina.
The discovery of Sidersaura marae is significant because it is one of the largest known rebbachisaurids . The genus contains a single species, S. marae, known from the remains of four individuals .
Sidersaura represents one of the largest known members of this group, at around 18–20 metres (59–66 ft) long and 15 tons in weight. The Sidersaura fossil material was discovered in 2012 in sediments from the base of the Huincul Formation (Barda Atravesada de Las Campanas locality) in Cañadón de las Campanas near Villa El Chocón of Neuquén Province, Argentina .
The bones were then excavated over the course of five years, during which the holotype of the giant carcharodontosaurid Meraxes was also found.
In conclusion, the discovery of Sidersaura marae is a significant addition to the field of paleontology. The dinosaur's unique features and its discovery in Argentina provide valuable insights into the evolution of sauropod dinosaurs and the ecosystems they inhabited ¹². The discovery of Sidersaura marae is a testament to the importance of continued research and exploration in the field of paleontology ..