[D] Rugocaudia cooneyi [sG] [T]
Describer
Woodruff 2012
Time
Cretaceous Early Aptian Albian
Classification
Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Sauropoda Titanosauria
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Cloverly Formation, Montana, US
Info
Abstract
New material representing the northernmost titanosauriform from North America is described from the Cloverly Formation (Aptian/Albian) of Montana, USA. Representing a basal titanosauriform, Rugocaudia cooneyi gen. et sp. nov., the remains consist of 18 caudal vertebral and associated material. Possessing a combination of several unique caudal vertebrae features, Rugocaudia appears uniquely distinct from previously recognized North American sauropod genera. This Early Cretaceous taxon from Montana and subsequent discovery of titanosauriform material from Wyoming indicates a stronger Early Cretaceous sauropod presence across the continental USA than previously recognized. The presence of these northern latitude taxa helps to expand the spatial distribution of Early Cretaceous sauropods and is an additional piece of evidence to counter the claims of waning Early Cretaceous sauropod diversity in North America
Etymology
L.rugo, wrinkled, in regard to the highly rugosecaudal margins, and caudia, tail. | In honour of Mr. J. P. Cooney who was thegenerous landowner from where the specimen was collected
Holotype
MOR334,19 caudal vertebral centra, a caudal neural arch, proximal end of a chevron, a tooth, and a distal section of a meta-carpal are the most diagnostic. There are also fragments of ribs,a proximal end of a femur, other limb elements, and possible pelvicand shoulder girdles, but these non-vertebral elements are far toodamaged and fragmentary for any useful observations on theirmorphology to be made.
Type horizon and locality
Cloverly Formation, Unit VII, Cretaceous(Aptian-Albian), collected at Middle Dome in Wheatland County,MT, private land
Diagnosis
Titanosauriform based on the following characters: strongly procoelous anterior caudal vertebrae, anterior caudalvertebrae with posteriorly projecting neural spines (Salgado et al.,1997; Santucci and Bertini, 2006), proximally positioned neuralarch (Upchurch et al., 2004), centrum height and width subequal(Curry Rogers, 2005), chevron with deep haemal canal (Wilson, 2002; Curry Rogers, 2005)