A new titanosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil |
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| Institution: | 1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Bloco 43127, Sala 114, Bairro Agronomia, CEP 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil;2. Grupo Ampla, R. Mário de Alencar Araripe, 382, Casa 9, Bairro Sapiranga, CEP 60833-163 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil;3. Departamento de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Bloco 43127, Sala 116, Bairro Agronomia, CEP 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Here we describe a new record of a sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian–Barremian) Rio Piranhas Formation, Sousa Basin, NE Brazil. Dinosaur fossil bones from this deposit were unknown until now. Thus, the discovery of a sauropod fibula from this locality is highly significant. Our discovery represents an indeterminate titanosaur and the earliest stratigraphic occurrence of this group in central Gondwana. When compared to chronocorrelate titanosaur trackmakers of this geological unit, this fossil specimen appears substantially smaller. Histological analysis of the fibula suggests that this is a relatively young individual (approximately 40–50% adult body size) that had passed its most rapid phase of early juvenile growth, but had not yet attained somatic maturity. Thus, the fibula recovered is from a young individual rather than from a small-bodied adult titanosaur. |
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| Keywords: | Sousa Basin Dinosauria Sauropoda Bone histology Fibula |
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