Describer

Calvo, González Riga & Porfiri, 2007

Time

Cretaceous Late Turonian Coniacian

Classification

Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Sauropoda Titanosauria [Titanosauridae] [Rinconsauria]

Diet

Herbivore

Fossilsite

Portezuelo Formation, Río Neuquén Subgroup, Neuquén Group, Loma del Lindero site, 10km West to Rincón de los Sauces City, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina

Info

Genus - Typespecies

Etymology of Riconsauria

In reference to Rincón de los Sauces area, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina. Definition – Muyelensaurus, Rinconsaurus, their most recent common ancestor and all of its descendants.

Diagnosis of Rinconsauria

Titanosaurids with the following association of characters: suboval teeth with labial and lingual faces well differentiated by crests, bony processes that support the postzygapophyseal facets in middle caudal vertebrae, and posterior caudal centra depressed posteriorly. Included species – Rinconsaurus caudamirus Calvo & González Riga, 2003, and Muyelensaurus pecheni gen. et sp.nov.

Etymology

From Muyelen, one of the names of the Colorado river after the Mapuche indigenous language (Erize, 1988); saurus (Greek), lizard. - In honor of Dra. Ana María Pechen, Main head of the National University of Comahue (2002-2006), who supported the study of dinosaur fossils in Neuquén Province, Patagonia.

Holotype

MRS-PV 207, a braincase including partial frontal and parietal, basioccipital, incomplete basipterigoid process, supraoccipital, exoccipital, basisphenoidals tubers, orbitosphenoids, and incomplete parasphenoids.

Paratype

The following bones associated with the holotype are included: represented by a premaxilar (MRS-Pv 59, 60, 337), cervical vertebrae (MRS-Pv 65, 66,121, 122, 204, 230, 232, 229, 279, 391, 392, 420, 422, 428), dorsal vertebrae (MRS-Pv 67, 68, 224, 404, 412, 421), sacrum (MRS-Pv 355), caudal vertebrae (MRS-Pv 135, 137, 164,170, 171, 173, 174, 189, 190, 193, 200, 209, 214, 252, 377, 408), scapula (MRS-Pv 396, 397, 259), sternal plate (MRS-Pv 125), humerus (MRS-Pv 70, 132, 212, 352, 357, 387), ulnae (MRS-Pv 72, 243, 353, 182), radio (MRS-Pv 71, 139) metacarpals (MRS-Pv 127, 152, 157, 181, 198, 231, 235, 236), ischia (MRS-Pv 87, 199, 247, 251), ilia (MRS-Pv 131, 134, 202, 399), pubes (MRS-Pv 88, 154, 204, 371), femora (MRS-Pv 89, 91, 352, 356, 358, 389, 429), tibiae (MRS-Pv 161, 162, 257, 266), fibulae (MRS-Pv 90, 245, 246, 258, 271, 369, 375), astragalus (MRS-Pv 187), metatarsals (MRS-Pv 50-54, 128, 141, 142, 166, 168, 242, 273, 274, 378, 379), and phalanges (MRS-Pv 55, 56, 57, 58, 143, 144-147, 165, 237).

Referred material

Posterior dorsal vertebrae (MRSPv 123, 203, 419 and 431).

The holotype and paratypes of Muyelensaurus pecheni sp.nov. correspond to four adult and one juvenile individuals. All fossil remains were found disarticulated but associated in the same site and include cranial remains, cervical, dorsal, sacral, and caudal vertebrae, and appendicular bones. Duplicate bones represented by appendicular bones exhibit the same morphological characters. This evidences the presence of a monospecific assemblage.