Journal
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
Volume 33, Issue 11, Pages 2998-3017Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2020.1841184
Keywords
France; Garrigatitan meridionalis; Late Cretaceous; Lirainosaurinae; Sauropoda; Titanosauria
Categories
Funding
- European Regional Development Fund
- Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion [CGL2017-85038-P]
- Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza [IT-1418-19]
- Bouches du Rhone department CD 13 [MAPADGAC16012014-1-AAPC, MAPADGAC23112010-1]
- French Ministry of Education and Communication [VR1013]
- Universidad del Pais Vasco [PPG17/05]
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Remains of a new sauropod dinosaur, Garrigatitan meridionalis, were found in France, showing anatomical differences with other titanosaurs and increasing the diversity of Late Cretaceous titanosaurs within the Ibero-Armorican Island. The new taxon is within the clade Lirainosaurinae and histological analysis indicated that all individuals had reached skeletal maturity.
Remains of Garrigatitan meridionalis nov. gen. et sp. were found in two bonebeds of sequence 2 from the upper Campanian site of Velaux-La Bastide Neuve (Aix-en-Provence Basin, Bouches du Rhone department). The vertebrate assemblage is dominated by dinosaurs, including the titanosaur Atsinganosaurus velauciensis. Garrigatitan meridionalis presents three diagnostic characters: hourglass-shaped humeri (proximal and distal thirds of almost the same transversal width) in anterior and posterior views, ilium with a broad rounded hollow slightly posterior to the base of the pubic peduncle, proximolateral margin of the femur only slightly medially deflected. Garrigatitan was a small to medium-sized sauropod (sub/adult individuals between 4-6 metres and 2-2.5 tonnes), showing anatomical differences with Atsinganosaurus, and with the other Late Cretaceous Ibero-Armorican titanosaurs. Large titanosaurian specimens found at Velaux-La Bastide Neuve could belong to adult Garrigatitan individuals reaching a body length of at least 12 metres. Histological analysis of long bones shows features similar to other Late Cretaceous European titanosaurs, indicating that all individuals had reached skeletal maturity (presence of an EFS, heavy remodelling HOS 12 to 14). The new taxon is recovered within the clade Lirainosaurinae. Garrigatitan meridionalis increases the diversity of Late Cretaceous titanosaurs within the Ibero-Armorican Island.
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