[D] Tastavinsaurus sanzi [sG] [T]
Describer
Canudo, Royo-Torres & Cuenca-Bescós 2008
Time
Cretaceous Early Aptian
Classification
Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Sauropoda Titanosauria [Titanosauriformes] [Somphospondyli]
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Limestones and shales of the Xert Formation (“Calizas y Margas de Xert”) ,Maestrazgo Basin, Arsis 1 (Ars1) locality, Peñarroya de Tastavins; La Canaleta site (CT-19), El Castellar, Teruel Province (Aragon), northeastern Spain.
Info
Canudo, J.I., Royo-Torres, R. and Cuenca-Becos, G. (2008) A new sauropod Tastavinsaurus sanzi gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) of Spain. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3):712–731
Abstract
The new sauropod dinosaur Tastavinsaurus sanzi, gen. et sp. nov., from the early Aptian of Spain is described. The holotype is a partially articulated skeleton of an adult individual recovered from the Arsis-1 site in Peñarroya de Tastavins (Teruel) at the base of the marine Xert Formation.
It is one of the most complete and bestpreserved sauropod dinosaur skeletons from the European Early Cretaceous. The fossil remains comprise the three caudalmost thoracic vertebrae, part of a fourth, nine thoracic rib fragments, sacrum, 25 caudal vertebrae, 21 chevrons, both ilia, pubes, ischia and femora, right tibia, right fibula, six metatarsals, and seven pedal phalanges (including four unguals).
The new taxon is defined by 19 autapomorphies. In our cladistic analysis, Tastavinsaurus is the sister-taxon of the North American Venenosaurus within Titanosauriformes, which includes the Brachiosauridae, Somphospondyli, and Titanosauria.
The new taxon provides new information about the diversity of non-brachiosaurid titanosauriforms during the Early Cretaceous in Europe and paleobiogeographic relationships between Europe and North America.
Etymology
From the Catalan word “Tastavin,” meaning “wine taster,” a word that also lends its name to the Tastavins River, which in turn gives its name to the village, Peñarroya de Tastavins, where the fossils were found; and from the Greek “sauros,” meaning “lizard.” - In honor of Professor José Luis Sanz, Madrid, for his studies of Spanish dinosaurs.
Holotype
The holotype is a partial skeleton (MPZ 99/9, housed in the museum of FCPT-D in permanent exhibition at Peñarroya de Tastavins) that comprises three thoracic vertebrae (Ars1–77, 78 and 79) and part of a fourth (Ars1–53), nine thoracic rib fragments (Ars1–57, 69, 74, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90 and 91), sacrum (Ars1–19), caudosacral vertebra (Ars1–7), two sacral rib fragments (Ars1–80 and 83), twenty-five caudal vertebrae (Ars1–10, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 47, 48, 49, 51, 62, 63, 64, 65, 70, 71, 72 and 73), 21 chevrons (Ars1–15, 22, 28, 32, 34, 37, 38, 43, 44, 46, 55, 56, 59, 60, 61, 66, 67, 68, 75, 81 and 82), two ilia (Ars1–58 and 9), two pubes (Ars1–16 and 84), two ischia (Ars1–23 and 24), two femora (Ars1–6 and 76), right tibia (Ars1– 50), right fibula (Ars1–54), five right (Ars1–4, 5, 8, 11 and 52) and one left (Ars1–21) metatarsals, and seven pedal phalanges (Ars1–2, 29 and 133), four of them unguals (Ars1–3, 12, 13 and 87).