A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur

Abstract

A unique site at the northern area of Patagonia (Neuquén, Argentina) reveals a terrestrial ecosystem preserved in a detail never reported before in a Late Cretaceous deposit. An extraordinary diversity and abundance of fossils was found concentrated in a 0.5 m horizon in the same quarry, including a new titanosaur sauropod, Futalognkosaurus dukei n.gen., n.sp, which is the most complete giant dinosaur known so far. Several plant leaves, showing a predominance of angiosperms over gymnosperms that likely constituted the diet of F. dukei were found too. Other dinosaurs (sauropods, theropods, ornithopods), crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs, and fishes were also discovered, allowing a partial reconstruction of this Gondwanan continental ecosystem.

An articulated cervical series of Alamosaurus sanjuanensis Gilmore, 1922 (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from Texas: new perspective on the relationships of North America's last giant sauropod

“…The most recent common ancestor of Futalognkosaurus dukei and Mendozasaurus neguyelap, and all of its descendants (Calvo et al 2007a). …”

“…The cervical vertebral count varies among titanosaurs. Rapetosaurus krausei from Madagascar was reported to have 17 cervical vertebrae, while the Argentinian giant Futalognkosaurus dukei has 14 cervical vertebrae, and the Brazilian titanosaur 'series A' has only 13 cervical vertebrae (Powell 2003;Calvo et al 2007a, b;Curry Rogers 2009). We tentatively assume a cervical vertebral count of 14 in Alamosaurus, based on the complete articulated cervical series of Futalognkosaurus dukei.…”

Bone microstructure and diagenesis of saurischian dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Neuquén Group), Argentina

“…In particular, most dinosaur species from Argentina have been found in Upper Cretaceous strata of the Neuquén Group, northern Patagonia. These findings comprise numerous sauropods and theropods and have significance from both systematic and phylogenetic viewpoints (e.g., Bonaparte, 1991;Novas, 1996;Novas, 1997;Novas and Puerta, 1997;Salgado et al, 1997;Powell, 2003;Wilson, 2002;Calvo and González Riga, 2003;Calvo et al, 2004;Curry Rogers, 2005;Coria and Currie, 2006;Calvo et al, 2007;González Riga et al, 2008;González Riga et al, 2009). In southern Mendoza, sauropod remains are relatively abundant.…”

H-index in the Brazilian Academy of Sciences: comments and concerns

“…The main reasons for that is the different turnover of papers, which is regarded as independent of scientific performance but rather a peculiarity of one particular field. As a general example, in some (but not all) cases isotope analyses can be done in months and be significant for publication, while to excavate and prepare a dinosaur can take several years before any meaningful result can be achieved (Calvo et al 2007). More important in our view is the amount of scientific activity in a certain field: the greater the number of scientists, the higher the chances (and the times) that a paper gets to be cited, which has a direct effect on the h-index value.…”