Revisiting the early cretaceous sauropod agustinia ligabuei (Dinosauria: diplodocoidea) from southern neuquen basin (Patagonia, Argentina), with implications on the early evolution of rebbachisaurids

The Lohan Cura Formation (Albian) at the Cerro de los Leones locality (Neuquen Province, Patagonia, Argentina) yielded several fossil materials, especially sauropod specimens. Among these, Agustinia ligabuei includes postcranial elements of a single individual, with widely debated taxonomy and phylogeny. Here, we provide an extended osteological description and illustrations of the axial and appendicular elements of Agustinia, as well as a revised diagnosis. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis including a new combination of morphological features recognises Agustinia as a basal Rebbachisauridae, closely related with other South American rebbachisaurids. Our results suggest a more diversified sauropod fauna in the Neuquen Basin, where different members of both neosauropod lineages (i.e. Macronaria and Diplodocoidea) survived in the same region during the Albian age. The reassessment of Agustinia as a basal rebbachisaurid improves our knowledge about the early stages of evolutionary history of Rebbachisauridae, adding new information on the morphological and taxonomic diversification of the clade during the Early Cretaceous of southwestern Gondwana.

Automated summary

This study presents an extended osteological description and revised diagnosis of the Agustinia ligabuei fossils found in the Cerro de los Leones locality in Patagonia, Argentina. The phylogenetic analysis recognizes Agustinia as a basal Rebbachisauridae, shedding light on the early stages of the evolutionary history of this clade in the Early Cretaceous of southwestern Gondwana. The presence of diverse sauropod fauna in the Neuquen Basin during the Albian age is also indicated.