Paralititan: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Steveoc 86 (talk | contribs) →Description: Add a bit of detail, update on ''longest humerus..'', removed uncited info. |
|||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''Paralititan''''' (meaning "tidal giant"<ref name=JSetal01 />) was a giant [[titanosauria]]n [[Sauropoda|sauropod]] [[dinosaur]] [[genus]] discovered in coastal deposits in the Upper [[Cretaceous]] [[Bahariya Formation]] of [[Egypt]]. It lived between 99.6 and 93.5 million years ago.<ref name="Holtz2008">Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,'' [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/HoltzappendixWinter2011.pdf Winter 2011 Appendix.] |
'''''Paralititan''''' (meaning "tidal giant"<ref name="JSetal01">{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Joshua B.|author2=Lamanna, M.C.|author3=Lacovara, K.J.|author4=Dodson, P.|author5=Smith, J.R.|author6=Poole, J.C.|author7=Giegengack, R.|author8=Attia, Y.|year=2001|title=A Giant sauropod dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous mangrove deposit in Egypt|journal=Science|volume=292|issue=5522|pages=1704–1706|doi=10.1126/science.1060561|pmid=11387472}}</ref>) was a giant [[titanosauria]]n [[Sauropoda|sauropod]] [[dinosaur]] [[genus]] discovered in coastal deposits in the Upper [[Cretaceous]] [[Bahariya Formation]] of [[Egypt]]. It lived between 99.6 and 93.5 million years ago.<ref name="Holtz2008">Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,'' [http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/dinoappendix/HoltzappendixWinter2011.pdf Winter 2011 Appendix.]</ref> |
||
==Description== |
==Description== |
||
[[File:Paralititan stromeri.jpg|thumb|left| |
[[File:Paralititan stromeri.jpg|thumb|left|Speculative restoration]] |
||
The [[holotype]] specimen of Paralititan CGM 81119 is incomplete, mainly consisting of a two fused [[Sacrum|sacral]] [[Vertebra|vertebrae]], two caudal vertebrae, incomplete [[Scapula|scapulae]] and two [[Humerus|humeri]]. The complete right humerus measured 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) long which at the time of discovery was the longest known in a Cretaceous sauropod; this was surpassed in 2016 with the discovery of ''[[Notocolossus]]'' which had a 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) humerus.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=González Riga|first=Bernardo J.|last2=Lamanna|first2=Matthew C.|last3=Ortiz David|first3=Leonardo D.|last4=Calvo|first4=Jorge O.|last5=Coria|first5=Juan P.|date=2016-01-18|title=A gigantic new dinosaur from Argentina and the evolution of the sauropod hind foot|url=http://www.nature.com/articles/srep19165|journal=Scientific Reports|language=En|volume=6|issue=1|doi=10.1038/srep19165|issn=2045-2322|pmc=PMC4725985|pmid=26777391}}</ref> The ''Paralititan'' type specimen shows evidence of having been scavenged by a [[Carnivore|carnivorous]] dinosaur.<ref name="JSetal01" /> |
|||
The fossil represents the first [[tetrapod]] reported from the [[Bahariya Formation]] since 1935. Its 1.69 meter (5.54 ft) long [[humerus]] is longer than that of any known Cretaceous sauropod. |
|||
Smith, who led the research team that found the dinosaur fossils, told an interviewer, "It was a truly enormous dinosaur by any reckoning."<ref name= |
Smith, who led the research team that found the dinosaur fossils, told an interviewer, "It was a truly enormous dinosaur by any reckoning."<ref name="giant">{{cite journal|last=Roach|first=John|date=May 31, 2001|title='Tidal Giant' Roamed Coastal Swamps of Ancient Africa|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0531_tidaldinosaur.html|journal=National Geographic News|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=[[National Geographic Society]]|accessdate=December 31, 2012}}</ref> |
||
Little of ''Paralititan'' is known, so its exact size is difficult to estimate. However, the limited material suggests that it is one of the most massive dinosaurs ever discovered, with an estimated weight of {{convert|59|MT|ST|abbr=on}}.<ref name="burness&flannery2001">Burness, G.P. and Flannery, T. (2001). "Dinosaurs, Dragonslayer, and Dwarfs: The Evolution of Maximal Body Size." ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'', '''98'''(25): 14518-14523.</ref> Using ''[[Saltasaurus]]'' as a guide, [[Kenneth Carpenter|Carpenter]] estimated its length at around {{convert|26|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="carpenter2006">Carpenter, K. (2006). "Biggest of the Big: a Critical Re-evaluation of the Mega-sauropod ''Amphicoelias fragillimus''." In Foster, J.R. and Lucas, S.G., eds., 2006, ''Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation.'' ''[[New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science]] Bulletin'', vol. 36: pp. 131-138.</ref> Scott Hartman estimates an animal that is massive, but still smaller than the biggest titanosaurs such as ''[[Puertasaurus]]'', ''[[Alamosaurus]]'', and ''[[Argentinosaurus]]''.<ref>http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/2013/06/the-biggest-of-big.html?rq</ref> |
Little of ''Paralititan'' is known, so its exact size is difficult to estimate. However, the limited material suggests that it is one of the most massive dinosaurs ever discovered, with an estimated weight of {{convert|59|MT|ST|abbr=on}}.<ref name="burness&flannery2001">Burness, G.P. and Flannery, T. (2001). "Dinosaurs, Dragonslayer, and Dwarfs: The Evolution of Maximal Body Size." ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'', '''98'''(25): 14518-14523.</ref> Using ''[[Saltasaurus]]'' as a guide, [[Kenneth Carpenter|Carpenter]] estimated its length at around {{convert|26|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="carpenter2006">Carpenter, K. (2006). "Biggest of the Big: a Critical Re-evaluation of the Mega-sauropod ''Amphicoelias fragillimus''." In Foster, J.R. and Lucas, S.G., eds., 2006, ''Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation.'' ''[[New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science]] Bulletin'', vol. 36: pp. 131-138.</ref> Scott Hartman estimates an animal that is massive, but still smaller than the biggest titanosaurs such as ''[[Puertasaurus]]'', ''[[Alamosaurus]]'', and ''[[Argentinosaurus]]''.<ref>http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/2013/06/the-biggest-of-big.html?rq</ref> |
||
==Discovery== |
==Discovery== |
||
[[File:Paralititan stromeri by Hatem Moushir 3.JPG|thumb|left|Caudal vertebra and other fossils]] |
[[File:Paralititan stromeri by Hatem Moushir 3.JPG|thumb|left|Caudal vertebra and other fossils]] |
||
Joshua Smith and his fellow discoverers called it ''Paralititan stromeri'',<ref name= "paleo">{{cite web |url= http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=basicTaxonInfo&taxon_no=64374 |title= Paralititan Stromeri |publisher= Paleobiology Database |accessdate= December 31, 2012}}</ref> which means "Stromer's tidal (Greek ''para'' + ''halos'' "near sea") [[Titan (mythology)|titan]]" or "Stromer's tidal giant". It was named by Joshua B. Smith, [[Matthew C. Lamanna]], [[Kenneth Lacovara|Kenneth J. Lacovara]], [[Peter Dodson]], [[Jennifer R. Smith]], [[Jason C. Poole]], [[Robert Giegengack]] and [[Yousri Attia]] in 2001 to honor [[Ernst Stromer|Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach]], a [[Germany|German]] [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] and [[Geology|geologist]] who found dinosaurs in this area in the early 1900s.<ref name=JSetal01/> |
Joshua Smith and his fellow discoverers called it ''Paralititan stromeri'',<ref name= "paleo">{{cite web |url= http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=basicTaxonInfo&taxon_no=64374 |title= Paralititan Stromeri |publisher= Paleobiology Database |accessdate= December 31, 2012}}</ref> which means "Stromer's tidal (Greek ''para'' + ''halos'' "near sea") [[Titan (mythology)|titan]]" or "Stromer's tidal giant". It was named by Joshua B. Smith, [[Matthew C. Lamanna]], [[Kenneth Lacovara|Kenneth J. Lacovara]], [[Peter Dodson]], [[Jennifer R. Smith]], [[Jason C. Poole]], [[Robert Giegengack]] and [[Yousri Attia]] in 2001 to honor [[Ernst Stromer|Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach]], a [[Germany|German]] [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] and [[Geology|geologist]] who found dinosaurs in this area in the early 1900s. The fossils represent the first [[tetrapod]] reported from the [[Bahariya Formation]] since 1935.<ref name=JSetal01/> |
||
==Ecology== |
==Ecology== |
||
The [[Taphonomy#Spatial fidelity|autochthonous]], scavenged skeleton was preserved in [[tidal]] flat deposits containing fossil [[mangrove]] vegetation. The mangrove ecosystem it inhabited was situated along the southern shore of the [[Tethys Ocean|Tethys]] Sea. ''Paralititan'' is the first dinosaur demonstrated to have inhabited a mangrove |
The [[Taphonomy#Spatial fidelity|autochthonous]], scavenged skeleton was preserved in [[tidal]] flat deposits containing fossil [[mangrove]] vegetation. The mangrove ecosystem it inhabited was situated along the southern shore of the [[Tethys Ocean|Tethys]] Sea. ''Paralititan'' is the first dinosaur demonstrated to have inhabited a mangrove [[habitat]]. It lived at approximately the same time as giant predators ''Carcharodontosaurus'', ''[[Spinosaurus]]'', and the sauropod ''[[Aegyptosaurus]]''.<ref name="JSetal01" /> |
||
It was a ground-dwelling herbivore.<ref name= "paleo" /> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 16:07, 4 July 2018
| Paralititan Temporal range: Late Cretaceous,
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Humeri at the Egyptian Geological Museum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
| Genus: | †Paralititan Smith et al., 2001 |
| Type species | |
| †Paralititan stromeri Smith et al., 2001 (type)
| |
Paralititan (meaning "tidal giant"[1]) was a giant titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur genus discovered in coastal deposits in the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation of Egypt. It lived between 99.6 and 93.5 million years ago.[2]
Description
The holotype specimen of Paralititan CGM 81119 is incomplete, mainly consisting of a two fused sacral vertebrae, two caudal vertebrae, incomplete scapulae and two humeri. The complete right humerus measured 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) long which at the time of discovery was the longest known in a Cretaceous sauropod; this was surpassed in 2016 with the discovery of Notocolossus which had a 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) humerus.[3] The Paralititan type specimen shows evidence of having been scavenged by a carnivorous dinosaur.[1]
Smith, who led the research team that found the dinosaur fossils, told an interviewer, "It was a truly enormous dinosaur by any reckoning."[4]
Little of Paralititan is known, so its exact size is difficult to estimate. However, the limited material suggests that it is one of the most massive dinosaurs ever discovered, with an estimated weight of 59 t (65 short tons).[5] Using Saltasaurus as a guide, Carpenter estimated its length at around 26 m (85 ft).[6] Scott Hartman estimates an animal that is massive, but still smaller than the biggest titanosaurs such as Puertasaurus, Alamosaurus, and Argentinosaurus.[7]
Discovery
Joshua Smith and his fellow discoverers called it Paralititan stromeri,[8] which means "Stromer's tidal (Greek para + halos "near sea") titan" or "Stromer's tidal giant". It was named by Joshua B. Smith, Matthew C. Lamanna, Kenneth J. Lacovara, Peter Dodson, Jennifer R. Smith, Jason C. Poole, Robert Giegengack and Yousri Attia in 2001 to honor Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach, a German paleontologist and geologist who found dinosaurs in this area in the early 1900s. The fossils represent the first tetrapod reported from the Bahariya Formation since 1935.[1]
Ecology
The autochthonous, scavenged skeleton was preserved in tidal flat deposits containing fossil mangrove vegetation. The mangrove ecosystem it inhabited was situated along the southern shore of the Tethys Sea. Paralititan is the first dinosaur demonstrated to have inhabited a mangrove habitat. It lived at approximately the same time as giant predators Carcharodontosaurus, Spinosaurus, and the sauropod Aegyptosaurus.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Smith, Joshua B.; Lamanna, M.C.; Lacovara, K.J.; Dodson, P.; Smith, J.R.; Poole, J.C.; Giegengack, R.; Attia, Y. (2001). "A Giant sauropod dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous mangrove deposit in Egypt". Science. 292 (5522): 1704–1706. doi:10.1126/science.1060561. PMID 11387472.
- ^ Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, Winter 2011 Appendix.
- ^ González Riga, Bernardo J.; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Ortiz David, Leonardo D.; Calvo, Jorge O.; Coria, Juan P. (2016-01-18). "A gigantic new dinosaur from Argentina and the evolution of the sauropod hind foot". Scientific Reports. 6 (1). doi:10.1038/srep19165. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4725985. PMID 26777391.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ Roach, John (May 31, 2001). "'Tidal Giant' Roamed Coastal Swamps of Ancient Africa". National Geographic News. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ^ Burness, G.P. and Flannery, T. (2001). "Dinosaurs, Dragonslayer, and Dwarfs: The Evolution of Maximal Body Size." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(25): 14518-14523.
- ^ Carpenter, K. (2006). "Biggest of the Big: a Critical Re-evaluation of the Mega-sauropod Amphicoelias fragillimus." In Foster, J.R. and Lucas, S.G., eds., 2006, Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, vol. 36: pp. 131-138.
- ^ http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/2013/06/the-biggest-of-big.html?rq
- ^ "Paralititan Stromeri". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
