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🇧🇷 Espécie Brasileira
Tapuiasaurus macedoi
Cretaceous Herbivore

Tapuiasaurus

Tapuiasaurus macedoi

"Tapuia lizard (Macedo)"

Period
Cretaceous · Aptiano
Lived
125–113 Ma
Length
up to 13 m
Estimated weight
10.0 t
Country of origin
Brasil
Described in
2011 by Hussam Zaher, Diego Pol, Alberto B. Carvalho, Paulo M. Nascimento, Claudio Riccomini, Peter Larson, Rubén Juárez-Valieri, Ricardo Pires-Domingues, Nelson Jorge da Silva Jr. e Diógenes de Almeida Campos

About this species

Tapuiasaurus macedoi is a mid-sized titanosaur (~13 m, ~10 tonnes) from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian, ~120 Ma) Quiricó Formation, Areado Group, Sanfranciscana Basin, in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The holotype MZSP-PV 807, curated at the Museu de Zoologia da USP, is renowned for preserving the only nearly complete Early Cretaceous titanosaur skull known worldwide, combined with an articulated partial postcranial skeleton. Its 'diplodocoid-like' cranial anatomy, with elongated rostrum, pencil-shaped cylindrical teeth and retroposed nares, pushed back by up to 30 million years the radiation of advanced titanosaurs that literature had assumed was restricted to the Late Cretaceous. Described in 2011 by Hussam Zaher and colleagues in PLOS ONE and cranially redescribed by Wilson, Pol, Carvalho and Zaher in 2016, the taxon is now a key piece for understanding the early evolution of Titanosauria in Gondwana.

Geological formation & environment

Quiricó Formation, part of the Areado Group in the Sanfranciscana Basin (north-central Minas Gerais and southern Bahia). Barremian to Aptian age (~125 to 113 Ma), with the Tapuiasaurus horizon in the Aptian interval. Lithology dominated by mudstones, siltstones and muddy sandstones, interpreted as lacustrine deposits transitioning to fluvial with increasing aeolian input upwards. Tropical to arid palaeoclimate with shallow lakes fed by ephemeral drainages. The fauna includes the titanosaur Tapuiasaurus macedoi, rebbachisaurids (undetermined remains), teeth from abelisaurid and carcharodontosaurid theropods, the abelisauroid Spectrovenator ragei, chelonians, crocodyliforms, actinopterygian fish, elasmobranchs, coelacanths, ostracods, spinicaudatans, insects and palynomorphs. The faunas show affinities with the Kem Kem Basin (Morocco), reinforcing Gondwanan palaeobiogeographic connections before the definitive break-up.

Image gallery

Ecology and behavior

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Habitat

Interior of western Gondwana during the Aptian (~120 Ma), in a lacustrine to fluvial setting under a tropical to arid climate. The Quiricó Formation was deposited in a system of shallow lakes with increasing aeolian contribution upwards, suggesting progressive intensification of aridity. The plains around the lakes supported xerophytic vegetation of conifers, cycads and gnetophytes, with primitive angiosperms starting to appear.

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Feeding

A high and low-canopy herbivore, by analogy with other titanosaurs. Tapuiasaurus's narrow, cylindrical teeth resemble those of diplodocoids and suggest a 'combing' strategy for foliage from canopies and shrubs, followed by swallowing without chewing; fermentative digestion in stomach chambers and a long intestine.

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Behavior and senses

No direct evidence of behaviour, but modern analogues and titanosaur trackway records on other continents suggest movement in small groups, with seasonal migration between water bodies. The abundance of sauropod footprints in the Sanfranciscana Basin (Três Barras Formation, overlying the Quiricó) reinforces sustained occupation of the region by these animals.

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Physiology and growth

A mid-sized sauropod for the group (~13 m, ~10 t), with an elongate neck, long tail, four columnar limbs and a relatively large and well-preserved head. The skull is diagnostic for combining primitive features (well-defined temporal fenestrae) with derived ones (elongated rostrum, retroposed nares, cylindrical teeth), the hallmark of the advanced titanosaurian cranial evolution that arose surprisingly early in the Aptian.

Paleogeography

Continental configuration

Mapa paleogeográfico do Cretáceous (~90 Ma)

Ron Blakey · CC BY 3.0 · Cretáceous, ~90 Ma

During the Aptiano (~125–113 Ma), Tapuiasaurus macedoi inhabited Laramidia, the western half of present-day North America, separated from the east by the Western Interior Seaway, a shallow sea dividing the continent. The continents were in very different positions: India was drifting toward Asia, Antarctica was still connected to Australia, and South America was an isolated island.

Bone Inventory

Estimated completeness 28%

Holotype MZSP-PV 807 preserves roughly 25 to 30 percent of the skeleton but with a rare combination: a nearly complete skull and jaws, articulated anterior axial elements and partially represented limbs. It is the most complete Early Cretaceous titanosaur in the world, above all because of the skull.

Found (15)
Inferred (7)
Esqueleto de dinossauro — sauropod
Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Found elements

crânio quase completomandíbula quase completaaparelho hioideatlas e axiscinco vértebras cervicaiscinco vértebras dorsais com costelasplaca esternal esquerdacoracoide direitoúmero direitorádio esquerdoulnasmetacarposfêmuresfíbula esquerdapé esquerdo quase completo

Inferred elements

maior parte do pescoço posteriorvértebras dorsais médias e posterioressacrocaudacintura pélvicaescápulatíbias

Scientific Literature

15 papers in chronological order — from the original description to recent research.

2003

Revision of South American Titanosaurid dinosaurs: palaeobiological, palaeobiogeographical and phylogenetic aspects

Powell, J.E. · Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston

Jaime Powell's foundational monograph revising every South American titanosaur known up to the early 2000s. It established the taxonomic, osteological and biogeographic framework that Zaher et al. 2011 used as a starting point for evaluating Tapuiasaurus.

Reconstruction of Saltasaurus loricatus, the Argentine titanosaur whose anatomy anchored Powell's (2003) revision and the understanding of the South American lithostrotians to which Tapuiasaurus belongs.

Reconstruction of Saltasaurus loricatus, the Argentine titanosaur whose anatomy anchored Powell's (2003) revision and the understanding of the South American lithostrotians to which Tapuiasaurus belongs.

Schematic of internal Titanosauria relationships. Powell's (2003) revision supplied many of the characters used in such topologies, the basis for the advanced position of Tapuiasaurus proposed by Zaher et al. (2011).

Schematic of internal Titanosauria relationships. Powell's (2003) revision supplied many of the characters used in such topologies, the basis for the advanced position of Tapuiasaurus proposed by Zaher et al. (2011).

2005

Titanosauria: a phylogenetic overview

Curry Rogers, K. · The Sauropods: Evolution and Paleobiology (University of California Press)

Synthesis chapter that reviewed Titanosauria before Tapuiasaurus was discovered. It consolidated the clade's definition and included the first comprehensive cladistic analysis with cranial characters, which Zaher et al. 2011 would later expand by incorporating Tapuiasaurus's previously unknown skull.

Skull of Rapetosaurus krausei, one of the few titanosaurs with known cranial material discussed in Curry Rogers (2005) and later recovered as sister group to Tapuiasaurus in Zaher et al. (2011).

Skull of Rapetosaurus krausei, one of the few titanosaurs with known cranial material discussed in Curry Rogers (2005) and later recovered as sister group to Tapuiasaurus in Zaher et al. (2011).

Size scale of Rapetosaurus. Curry Rogers's (2005) synthesis contextualises the size, history and diversity of titanosaurs in which Tapuiasaurus would become, six years later, a key data point.

Size scale of Rapetosaurus. Curry Rogers's (2005) synthesis contextualises the size, history and diversity of titanosaurs in which Tapuiasaurus would become, six years later, a key data point.

2007

A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur

Calvo, J.O., Porfiri, J.D., González Riga, B.J. e Kellner, A.W.A. · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Description of the Argentine titanosaur Futalognkosaurus dukei, one of the giant Neuquén lognkosaurines. Contextualises Tapuiasaurus within the South American Titanosauria radiation, with which it shares phylogenetic affinities in some analyses.

Life reconstruction of Futalognkosaurus dukei, the large Neuquén titanosaur described by Calvo et al. (2007) in Anais da ABC. The paper set benchmarks for South American titanosaurs later used in evaluating Tapuiasaurus.

Life reconstruction of Futalognkosaurus dukei, the large Neuquén titanosaur described by Calvo et al. (2007) in Anais da ABC. The paper set benchmarks for South American titanosaurs later used in evaluating Tapuiasaurus.

Skeletal reconstruction of Futalognkosaurus. Calvo et al. (2007) was one of the starting points for the growing titanosaur sample that Tapuiasaurus would extend in 2011.

Skeletal reconstruction of Futalognkosaurus. Calvo et al. (2007) was one of the starting points for the growing titanosaur sample that Tapuiasaurus would extend in 2011.

2003

Amazonsaurus maranhensis gen. et sp. nov. (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of Brazil

Carvalho, I.S., Santos Avilla, L. e Salgado, L. · Cretaceous Research

Description of Amazonsaurus maranhensis, an Aptian-Albian diplodocoid from the Itapecuru Formation (Maranhão). It is the main Brazilian sauropod roughly contemporary with Tapuiasaurus and evidence that Early Cretaceous sauropod diversity in Brazil included both diplodocoids and titanosaurs.

Life reconstruction of Amazonsaurus maranhensis, the Aptian-Albian diplodocoid from the Itapecuru Formation (Maranhão), described by Carvalho, Santos Avilla and Salgado (2003) and roughly contemporary with Tapuiasaurus.

Life reconstruction of Amazonsaurus maranhensis, the Aptian-Albian diplodocoid from the Itapecuru Formation (Maranhão), described by Carvalho, Santos Avilla and Salgado (2003) and roughly contemporary with Tapuiasaurus.

Detailed reconstruction of Amazonsaurus. The Brazilian diplodocoid occurrence contrasts with the titanosaur Tapuiasaurus, indicating the coexistence of both major sauropod lineages in Aptian Brazil.

Detailed reconstruction of Amazonsaurus. The Brazilian diplodocoid occurrence contrasts with the titanosaur Tapuiasaurus, indicating the coexistence of both major sauropod lineages in Aptian Brazil.

2009

The Age of Dinosaurs in South America

Novas, F.E. · Indiana University Press

Comprehensive treatise on South American dinosaurs with chapters dedicated to Cretaceous sauropods. It provides the biogeographic backdrop against which Tapuiasaurus would be published two years later as the first record of an advanced Aptian titanosaur.

Reconstruction of a giant South American titanosaur, the core group in Novas's (2009) treatise and key to contextualising Tapuiasaurus's basal position relative to Patagonian Late Cretaceous sauropods.

Reconstruction of a giant South American titanosaur, the core group in Novas's (2009) treatise and key to contextualising Tapuiasaurus's basal position relative to Patagonian Late Cretaceous sauropods.

Skull of Rapetosaurus krausei, one of the few titanosaurs with known cranial material before 2011. Novas's (2009) synthesis reviewed this material as a cladistic reference that Zaher et al. (2011) would expand with the Tapuiasaurus skull.

Skull of Rapetosaurus krausei, one of the few titanosaurs with known cranial material before 2011. Novas's (2009) synthesis reviewed this material as a cladistic reference that Zaher et al. (2011) would expand with the Tapuiasaurus skull.

2011

A Complete Skull of an Early Cretaceous Sauropod and the Evolution of Advanced Titanosaurians

Zaher, H., Pol, D., Carvalho, A.B., Nascimento, P.M., Riccomini, C., Larson, P., Juarez-Valieri, R., Pires-Domingues, R., da Silva, N.J. Jr. e Campos, D.A. · PLoS ONE

Original, formal description of Tapuiasaurus macedoi based on holotype MZSP-PV 807 with skull and partial skeleton from the Quiricó Formation (Aptian, Minas Gerais). The discovery is a landmark because it shows the diplodocoid-like cranial anatomy of advanced titanosaurs already existed around 120 Ma, pushing back by up to 30 Myr the supposed diversification of nemegtosaurids in the Late Cretaceous.

Figure 1 from Zaher et al. (2011, PLOS ONE): skull of Tapuiasaurus macedoi holotype MZSP-PV 807 in multiple views with anatomical abbreviations. It is the most complete titanosaur skull known from the Early Cretaceous.

Figure 1 from Zaher et al. (2011, PLOS ONE): skull of Tapuiasaurus macedoi holotype MZSP-PV 807 in multiple views with anatomical abbreviations. It is the most complete titanosaur skull known from the Early Cretaceous.

Figure 7 from Zaher et al. (2011): time-calibrated phylogeny placing Tapuiasaurus as an advanced titanosaur related to Rapetosaurus, nemegtosaurids and saltasaurids, pushing back by about 30 Myr the radiation of advanced titanosaurs.

Figure 7 from Zaher et al. (2011): time-calibrated phylogeny placing Tapuiasaurus as an advanced titanosaur related to Rapetosaurus, nemegtosaurids and saltasaurids, pushing back by about 30 Myr the radiation of advanced titanosaurs.

2011

Mesozoic dinosaurs from Brazil and their biogeographic implications

Bittencourt, J.S. e Langer, M.C. · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Comprehensive review of Brazilian Mesozoic dinosaurs published the same year Tapuiasaurus was described. Lists 21 valid Brazilian species and discusses their biogeography, providing the immediate context for Tapuiasaurus's role in the Aptian fauna of the South American interior.

Amazonsaurus maranhensis, one of the Brazilian Early Cretaceous sauropods discussed in Bittencourt and Langer's (2011) review, which contextualises Tapuiasaurus within the 21 Brazilian species known at the time.

Amazonsaurus maranhensis, one of the Brazilian Early Cretaceous sauropods discussed in Bittencourt and Langer's (2011) review, which contextualises Tapuiasaurus within the 21 Brazilian species known at the time.

Austroposeidon magnificus, the giant Late Cretaceous Brazilian titanosaur. Bittencourt and Langer's (2011) review encompasses the set of Brazilian titanosaurs of which Tapuiasaurus is the only well-known Aptian representative.

Austroposeidon magnificus, the giant Late Cretaceous Brazilian titanosaur. Bittencourt and Langer's (2011) review encompasses the set of Brazilian titanosaurs of which Tapuiasaurus is the only well-known Aptian representative.

2011

A new sauropod (Macronaria, Titanosauria) from the Adamantina Formation, Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous of Brazil and the phylogenetic relationships of Aeolosaurini

Santucci, R.M. e Arruda-Campos, A.C. · Zootaxa

Description of Aeolosaurus maximus, a titanosaur from the Adamantina Formation (Brazilian Late Cretaceous), published in the same year as Tapuiasaurus. It contributes phylogenetic characters and broadens the picture of Brazilian titanosaur diversity, complementing Tapuiasaurus's basal position.

Map of sauropod localities in the Bauru Basin (Late Cretaceous), home to most Brazilian titanosaurs including the Aeolosaurini reviewed by Santucci and Arruda-Campos (2011). It contrasts with the Aptian Sanfranciscana Basin of Tapuiasaurus.

Map of sauropod localities in the Bauru Basin (Late Cretaceous), home to most Brazilian titanosaurs including the Aeolosaurini reviewed by Santucci and Arruda-Campos (2011). It contrasts with the Aptian Sanfranciscana Basin of Tapuiasaurus.

Austroposeidon magnificus, the giant Bauru titanosaur. The Aeolosaurini set reviewed by Santucci and Arruda-Campos (2011) completes the temporal sequence of Brazilian titanosaurs begun in the Aptian by Tapuiasaurus.

Austroposeidon magnificus, the giant Bauru titanosaur. The Aeolosaurini set reviewed by Santucci and Arruda-Campos (2011) completes the temporal sequence of Brazilian titanosaurs begun in the Aptian by Tapuiasaurus.

2013

Osteology of the Late Jurassic Portuguese sauropod dinosaur Lusotitan atalaiensis (Macronaria) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms

Mannion, P.D., Upchurch, P., Barnes, R.N. e Mateus, O. · Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Extensive osteological revision of the Portuguese Lusotitan and a phylogenetic analysis of 63 taxa and 279 characters. Proposes that titanosauriform diversity increased in the Barremian and Aptian-Albian via radiation of somphospondylans and lithostrotians, the very interval that Tapuiasaurus inhabits.

Titanosauria diagram. The topology described in Mannion et al. (2013) summarised the Aptian lithostrotian radiation that directly includes Tapuiasaurus.

Titanosauria diagram. The topology described in Mannion et al. (2013) summarised the Aptian lithostrotian radiation that directly includes Tapuiasaurus.

Reconstruction of the skull of Malawisaurus dixeyi, an Aptian reference from East Africa and frequent close relative of Tapuiasaurus in the analyses of Mannion et al. (2013) and Wilson et al. (2016).

Reconstruction of the skull of Malawisaurus dixeyi, an Aptian reference from East Africa and frequent close relative of Tapuiasaurus in the analyses of Mannion et al. (2013) and Wilson et al. (2016).

2016

A New Giant Titanosauria (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Group, Brazil

Bandeira, K.L.N., Medeiros Simbras, F., Batista Machado, E., de Almeida Campos, D., Oliveira, G.R. e Kellner, A.W.A. · PLoS ONE

Description of Austroposeidon magnificus, Brazil's largest titanosaur (~25 m), from the Presidente Prudente Formation (Bauru). It also reviews national titanosaur diversity, listing nine valid taxa and placing Tapuiasaurus as the only Brazilian Early Cretaceous representative.

Life reconstruction of Austroposeidon magnificus, the largest Brazilian titanosaur, described by Bandeira et al. (2016). The paper reviews the set of nine Brazilian titanosaurs in which Tapuiasaurus is the only Early Cretaceous member.

Life reconstruction of Austroposeidon magnificus, the largest Brazilian titanosaur, described by Bandeira et al. (2016). The paper reviews the set of nine Brazilian titanosaurs in which Tapuiasaurus is the only Early Cretaceous member.

Sauropod localities in the Bauru Basin, home to the Brazilian Late Cretaceous titanosaurs. Bandeira et al.'s (2016) synthesis contrasts that set with Tapuiasaurus, isolated in the Aptian Sanfranciscana Basin.

Sauropod localities in the Bauru Basin, home to the Brazilian Late Cretaceous titanosaurs. Bandeira et al.'s (2016) synthesis contrasts that set with Tapuiasaurus, isolated in the Aptian Sanfranciscana Basin.

2016

Time-calibrated models support congruency between Cretaceous continental rifting and titanosaurian evolutionary history

Gorscak, E. e O'Connor, P.M. · Biology Letters

Time-calibrated phylogenetic models testing congruency between Cretaceous continental rifting and titanosaur evolution. Shows that the clade's key diversification coincides with Gondwana's break-up, the very period Tapuiasaurus inhabited.

General titanosaur phylogeny used as a comparative reference for Gorscak and O'Connor's (2016) time-calibrated model. Tapuiasaurus appears as one of the oldest lithostrotians and plays a sensitive role in node dating.

General titanosaur phylogeny used as a comparative reference for Gorscak and O'Connor's (2016) time-calibrated model. Tapuiasaurus appears as one of the oldest lithostrotians and plays a sensitive role in node dating.

Skull of Malawisaurus, another Aptian Gondwanan titanosaur. The rifting-phylogeny congruency discussed by Gorscak and O'Connor (2016) aligns the Brazilian Tapuiasaurus with the African Malawisaurus in the same time window.

Skull of Malawisaurus, another Aptian Gondwanan titanosaur. The rifting-phylogeny congruency discussed by Gorscak and O'Connor (2016) aligns the Brazilian Tapuiasaurus with the African Malawisaurus in the same time window.

2016

The skull of the titanosaur Tapuiasaurus macedoi (Dinosauria: Sauropoda), a basal titanosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil

Wilson, J.A., Pol, D., Carvalho, A.B. e Zaher, H. · Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Detailed redescription of the Tapuiasaurus skull five years after the original description, with further preparation and computed tomography. Identifies six new diagnostic features, revises the phylogenetic framework and recovers the taxon, preferentially, in a basal position adjacent to Malawisaurus and Tangvayosaurus, more basal than proposed by Zaher et al. (2011).

Skull of Tapuiasaurus holotype MZSP-PV 807, image from Zaher et al. (2011, PLOS ONE) retained as a reference for the detailed and phylogenetically revised redescription published by Wilson et al. (2016).

Skull of Tapuiasaurus holotype MZSP-PV 807, image from Zaher et al. (2011, PLOS ONE) retained as a reference for the detailed and phylogenetically revised redescription published by Wilson et al. (2016).

Photograph of the Tapuiasaurus type skull in lateral view, material reassessed in detail by Wilson et al. (2016) with six new diagnostic features and repositioning in a basal role adjacent to Malawisaurus.

Photograph of the Tapuiasaurus type skull in lateral view, material reassessed in detail by Wilson et al. (2016) with six new diagnostic features and repositioning in a basal role adjacent to Malawisaurus.

2017

A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs

Carballido, J.L., Pol, D., Otero, A., Cerda, I.A., Salgado, L., Garrido, A.C., Ramezani, J., Cúneo, N.R. e Krause, J.M. · Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Description of Patagotitan mayorum, one of the largest titanosaurs ever described, and an analysis of body-mass evolution in Sauropoda. Illuminates the 'mid-Cretaceous' lognkosaurian radiation that postdates Tapuiasaurus and provides the basic contrast between the basal Aptian Brazilian taxon and Patagonian Albian-Turonian gigantothermy.

Life reconstruction of Patagotitan mayorum, the giant Argentine titanosaur described by Carballido et al. (2017). Its huge size contrasts with the Aptian Tapuiasaurus, evidence that gigantism is a derived trait of Patagonian titanosaurs.

Life reconstruction of Patagotitan mayorum, the giant Argentine titanosaur described by Carballido et al. (2017). Its huge size contrasts with the Aptian Tapuiasaurus, evidence that gigantism is a derived trait of Patagonian titanosaurs.

Scale diagram of Patagotitan compared with an adult human and an elephant. Carballido et al.'s (2017) mass-evolution analysis shows that the small Tapuiasaurus represents an anatomical stage earlier than the extreme miniaturisation and gigantism of Lognkosauria.

Scale diagram of Patagotitan compared with an adult human and an elephant. Carballido et al.'s (2017) mass-evolution analysis shows that the small Tapuiasaurus represents an anatomical stage earlier than the extreme miniaturisation and gigantism of Lognkosauria.

2017

A new basal titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil

Carvalho, I.S., Salgado, L., Lindoso, R.M., Araújo-Júnior, H.I., Nogueira, F.C.C. e Soares, J.A. · Journal of South American Earth Sciences

Description of Triunfosaurus leonardii, a basal titanosaur from the Rio Piranhas Formation (Berriasian-Hauterivian), among the oldest titanosaurs documented in Gondwana. Complements the Aptian Tapuiasaurus record by showing that the Brazilian titanosaur lineage began at least 15 Myr earlier.

Titanosauria phylogeny used as comparative reference. Triunfosaurus, described by Carvalho et al. (2017), pushes the start of the clade in Brazil back to the Neocomian, preceding the Aptian Tapuiasaurus by 15 Myr.

Titanosauria phylogeny used as comparative reference. Triunfosaurus, described by Carvalho et al. (2017), pushes the start of the clade in Brazil back to the Neocomian, preceding the Aptian Tapuiasaurus by 15 Myr.

Skull of Malawisaurus, the African Aptian titanosaur with which Tapuiasaurus is often grouped in analyses. Carvalho et al. (2017) connect this Aptian set to Neocomian Brazilian ancestors such as Triunfosaurus.

Skull of Malawisaurus, the African Aptian titanosaur with which Tapuiasaurus is often grouped in analyses. Carvalho et al. (2017) connect this Aptian set to Neocomian Brazilian ancestors such as Triunfosaurus.

2018

New Egyptian sauropod reveals Late Cretaceous dinosaur dispersal between Europe and Africa

Sallam, H.M., Gorscak, E., O'Connor, P.M., El-Dawoudi, I.A., El-Sayed, S., Saber, S., Kora, M.A., Sertich, J.J.W., Seiffert, E.R. e Lamanna, M.C. · Nature Ecology and Evolution

Description of Mansourasaurus shahinae, an Egyptian Late Cretaceous titanosaur, plus a biogeographic analysis showing a connection between African and European faunas at the end of the Cretaceous. It serves as the temporal and geographic counterpoint to Tapuiasaurus, which represents an Aptian Brazilian titanosaur predating the full isolation of Africa and South America.

Life reconstruction of Mansourasaurus shahinae, the Egyptian Late Cretaceous titanosaur described by Sallam et al. (2018). It contrasts geographically and temporally with the Brazilian Aptian Tapuiasaurus, illustrating the evolutionary arc of Gondwanan titanosaurs.

Life reconstruction of Mansourasaurus shahinae, the Egyptian Late Cretaceous titanosaur described by Sallam et al. (2018). It contrasts geographically and temporally with the Brazilian Aptian Tapuiasaurus, illustrating the evolutionary arc of Gondwanan titanosaurs.

General titanosaur phylogeny. Sallam et al.'s (2018) biogeographic analysis places Mansourasaurus on a late African-European route, while the Brazilian Tapuiasaurus occupies the early South American core of the same clade.

General titanosaur phylogeny. Sallam et al.'s (2018) biogeographic analysis places Mansourasaurus on a late African-European route, while the Brazilian Tapuiasaurus occupies the early South American core of the same clade.

Famous museum specimens

MZSP-PV 807 (holótipo) — Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP/USP), São Paulo, Brasil

Wikimedia Commons

MZSP-PV 807 (holótipo)

Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP/USP), São Paulo, Brasil

Completeness: Esqueleto parcial articulado: crânio e mandíbula quase completos, aparelho hioide, atlas, axis, cinco cervicais e cinco dorsais com costelas, placa esternal esquerda, coracoide direito, úmero direito, rádio esquerdo, ulnas, metacarpos, fêmures, fíbula esquerda e pé esquerdo quase completo (~25 a 30% do esqueleto)
Found in: 2002
By: Ubirajara Alves de Macedo (geólogo) encontrou o afloramento-tipo; escavação coordenada por Hussam Zaher (MZSP/USP).

Only nearly complete Early Cretaceous titanosaur skull in the world. The material is curated at MZSP/USP (Ipiranga district, São Paulo) and is regularly studied through international collaborations (Wilson, Pol, Carvalho).

Réplica em exposição no MZSP/USP — Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

Wikimedia Commons

Réplica em exposição no MZSP/USP

Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

Completeness: Montagem e reconstrução do crânio e material diagnóstico em exposição educativa
Found in: 2018
By: Montagem museográfica a partir do holótipo MZSP-PV 807

The museographic mount of the Tapuiasaurus skull is one of the most publicly visible pieces in the USP vertebrate-fossil collection.

Classification

Dinosauria
└ Saurischia
└ Sauropodomorpha
└ Sauropoda
└ Macronaria
└ Titanosauriformes
└ Somphospondyli
└ Titanosauria
└ Lithostrotia

Discovery

First fossil
2002
Discoverer
Ubirajara Alves de Macedo (geólogo) descobriu o afloramento-tipo nos Morros Embira-Branca, próximo a Coração de Jesus (MG); escavações coordenadas pelo MZSP/USP.
Formal description
2011
Described by
Hussam Zaher, Diego Pol, Alberto B. Carvalho, Paulo M. Nascimento, Claudio Riccomini, Peter Larson, Rubén Juárez-Valieri, Ricardo Pires-Domingues, Nelson Jorge da Silva Jr. e Diógenes de Almeida Campos
Formation
Formação Quiricó (Grupo Areado, Bacia Sanfranciscana)
Region
Minas Gerais
Country
Brasil
Powell, J.E. (2003) — Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston

Fun fact

The skull of Tapuiasaurus macedoi is the only nearly complete Early Cretaceous titanosaur skull in the world. Before its discovery, the 'diplodocoid-like' cranial anatomy (elongate rostrum, pencil-shaped cylindrical teeth, retroposed nares) was only known from Late Cretaceous titanosaurs such as Rapetosaurus and Nemegtosaurus. Tapuiasaurus showed that this anatomy already existed around 120 million years ago, pushing the radiation scientists thought had happened in the late Mesozoic back by up to 30 million years.