Maxakalisaurus

Maxakalisaurus is a genus of titanosaur dinosaur, found in the Adamantina Formation of Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais in 1998. The genus name is derived from the tribe of the Maxakali; Topa is one of their divinities.[1]

Maxakalisaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Reconstructed skeleton
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: †Sauropodomorpha
Clade: †Sauropoda
Clade: †Macronaria
Clade: †Titanosauria
Clade: †Lithostrotia
Genus: †Maxakalisaurus
Kellner et al., 2006
Species:
†M. topai
Binomial name
†Maxakalisaurus topai
Kellner et al., 2006
Jaw in multiple views

Description

The type specimen of Maxakalisaurus belonged to an animal about 12.1 meters (40 feet) long, with an estimated weight of 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons).[1][2] It had a long neck and tail, ridged teeth (unusual among sauropods) and lived about 80 million years ago. Because sauropods seem to have lacked significant competition in South America, they evolved there with greater diversity and more unusual traits than elsewhere in the world.[1] Like the fellow titanosaur Saltasaurus, Maxakalisaurus had defensive osteoderms; one has been found on the holotype.

In 2016, a new specimen comprising a dentary and teeth was described as belonging to Maxakalisaurus. [3]

A reconstructed Maxakalisaurus skeleton was on display in the National Museum of Brazil. It is currently unknown if it was damaged by the National Museum of Brazil fire on 2 September 2018.[4]

Classification

França et al.'s 2016 description of the second specimen also included a phylogenetic analysis, which placed Maxakalisaurus as a basal member of the Aeolosaurini. Their cladogram is shown below:[3]

Lithostrotia

Malawisaurus

Muyelensaurus

Nemegtosauridae

Nemegtosaurus

Tapuiasaurus

Rapetosaurus

Saltasauroidea

Diamantinasaurus

Baurutitan

Isisaurus

Saltasauridae

Alamosaurus

Opisthocoelicaudia

Neuquensaurus

Saltasaurus

Aeolosaurini

Maxakalisaurus

Panamericansaurus

Rinconsaurus

Gondwanatitan

Aeolosaurus maximus (Arrudatitan)

Aeolosaurus colhuehuapensis

Aeolosaurus rionegrinus

References
  1. Kellner, A.W.A., Campos, D.A., Azevedo, S.A.K., Trotta, M.N.F., Henriques, D.D.R., Craik, M.M.T., and Silva, H.P. (2006). "On a new titanosaur sauropod from the Bauru Group, Late Cretaceous of Brazil. Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine" Boletim do Museu Nacional (Geologia), 74: 1-31.
  2. Paul, Gregory S. (2010). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs. Princeton University Press. p. 212.
  3. França, M.A.G.; Marsola, J.C.d A.; Riff, D.; Hsiou, A.S.; Langer, M.C. (2016). "New lower jaw and teeth referred to Maxakalisaurus topai (Titanosauria: Aeolosaurini) and their implications for the phylogeny of titanosaurid sauropods". PeerJ. 4: e2054. doi:10.7717/peerj.2054. PMC 4906671. PMID 27330853.
  4. BBC (3 September 2018). "Brazil National Museum fire: Key treasures at risk". BBC News. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  • Santucci, R. M. & Bertini, R.J. (2006). "A large sauropod titanosaur from Peirópolis, Bauru Group, Brazil." N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., 2006: 344-360; Stuttgart.
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