1. Home
  2. 2024 (online first)
  3. Calvo

What is the most giant sauropod from Argentina? Diversity of large titanosaurs from Patagonia

Jorge Orlando Calvo

Abstract


This work’s intent is to establish which was the most giant titanosaurid sauropod from Argentina. The evidence is scarce; however, we have tried to select the largest bones of the nine most giant titanosaurids. Argentinosaurus has been proposed as the largest titanosaurid, but recently a new king has been erected: the Patagotitan. In this review, we will see that there are some inconsistences and difficulties to define which is the largest. In other words, giant titanosaurids were a group of sauropods with a variable morphology and probably the overall shape was different. Among the largest titanosaurids, we have included Argyrosaurus superbus, Antarctosaurus giganteus, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, Puertasaurus reuili, Futalognkosaurus dukei, Traukutitan eocaudata, Dreadnoughtus schrani, Notocolossus gonzalezparejasi, and Patagotitan mayorum.

Keywords


sauropods; titanosaurids; Argentina; Cretaceous; Patagonia

Full Text: PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.14.24556

References


Bonaparte, J. F., & Coria, R. A. (1993). Un nuevo y gigantesco saurópodo titanosaurio de la Formación Río Limay (Albiano-Cenomaniano) de la Provincia del Neuquén, Argentina. Ameghiniana, 30: 271–282.

Calvo J. O., Porfiri, J. D., González-Riga, B. J., & Kellner. A. W. A. (2007). A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, 79: 529–541. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0001-37652007000300013

Carballido, J. L., Pol, D., Otero, A., Cerda, I. A., Salgado, L., Garrido, A., Ramezani, J., Cuneo, N. R., & Krause, J. M. (2017). A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284: 2017–1219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1219

Carrano, M. T. (2006). Body-size evolution in the Dinosauria. In M. T. Carrano, R. W. Blob, T. J. Gaudin, & J. R. Wible (Eds.) Amniote paleobiology: perspectives on the evolution of mammals, birds, and reptiles, pp. 225–268. University of Chicago Press.

González Riga, B. J. (2003). A new titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mendoza province, Argentina. Ameghiniana 40, 155–172.

González Riga, B. J., Lamanna, M. C., Ortiz David, L. D., Calvo, J. O., & Coria, J. P. (2016). A gigantic new dinosaur from Argentina and the evolution of the sauropod hind foot. Scientific Reports, 6:19165. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep19165

Juárez Valieri, R. D., Calvo, J. O. (2011). Revision of MUCPv 204, a Senonian Basal Titanosaur from Northern Patagonia. In J. O. Calvo, J. D. Porfiri, B. J. González-Riga, D. Dos Santos (Eds.), Paleontología y dinosaurios desde América Latina, Paleontología y dinosaurios desde América Latina. pp. 143–152.

Lacovara, K. J., Lamanna, M.C., Ibiricu, L. M., Poole, J. C., Schroeter, E. R., Ullmann, V., Voegle, K. K., Boles, Z. M., Carter, A. M., Fowler, E. K., Egerton, V. M., Moyer, A. E., Coughenour, C. L., Schein, J. P., Harris, J. D., Martínez, R. D. & Novas. F. E. (2014). A gigantic, exceptionally complete titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from southern Patagonia, Argentina. Scientific Reports, 4: 6196. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06196

Lydekker, R. (1893). Contributions to the study of the fossil vertebrates of Argentina, pp 1–14. Taller de Publicaciones del Museo/La Plata

nion, P. D., & Otero, A. G. (2012). A reappraisal of the Late Cretaceous Argentinean sauropod dinosaurArgyrosaurus superbus, with a description of a new titanosaur genus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32(3), 614–638. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2012.660898

Mazzetta, G. V., Christiansen, P., & Fariña, R. A. (2004). Giants and bizarres: Body size of some southern South American Cretaceous dinosaurs. Historical Biology, 16(2–4), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912960410001715132

Novas, F. E., Salgado, L., Calvo, J., & Agnolin, F. L. (2005). Giant titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. Revista Del Museo Argentino De Ciencias Naturales, 7, 31–36. https://doi.org/10.22179/revmacn.7.340

Paul, G. S. (2019). Determining the largest known land animal: A critical comparison of differing methods for restoring the volume and mass of extinct animals. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 85(4), 335. https://doi.org/10.2992/007.085.0403

Salgado, L., & Calvo, J. O. (1993). Report of a sauropod with amphiplatyan mid-caudal vertebrae from the late Cretaceous of Neuquén province (Argentina). Ameghiniana, 30, 215–218.

Von Huene, F. R. F. (1929). Los saurisquios y ornitisquios del cretáceo argentino, pp. 1–196. La Plata.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share