A juvenile <i>Diamantinasaurus matildae</i> (Dinosauria: Titanosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, with implications for sauropod ontogeny

Rigby, Samantha L.; Poropat, Stephen F.; Mannion, Philip D.; Pentland, Adele H.; Sloan, Trish; Rumbold, Steven J.; Webster, Carlin B.; Elliott, David A.

doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.2047991

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…In all measured dimensions, the left femur of AODF 0906 ( table 7 ) is very slightly larger than the holotype right femur of Diamantinasaurus matildae (AODF 0603; [ 9 , 37 , 44 , 237 ]). However, the measured proximodistal length is likely exaggerated (possibly by as much as 50 mm) by infilled fractures in the element.…”

Section: Hind Limbmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…AODF 0836 (‘Alex'; AODL 0127): left frontal, right and left parietals, left squamosal, right and left quadrates, braincase (comprising supraoccipital, right and left exoccipital–opisthotics, basioccipital, partial basisphenoid, right and left prootics, right and left laterosphenoids, right and left orbitosphenoids, and right and left possible sphenethmoids), left surangular, atlas intercentrum, axis, cervical vertebrae III–VI, middle/posterior cervical vertebral neural arch, three dorsal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, two co-ossified sacral vertebrae, right scapula, right and left iliac preacetabular processes, right and left pubes, right and left ischia, and abundant associated fragments, many representing ribs or partial vertebrae [ 38 , 41 ]; AODF 0663 (‘Oliver'; AODL 0122): one cervical rib, two dorsal vertebral centra, three dorsal vertebral neural arches, several dorsal ribs, left scapula, right humerus, right manual ungual I-2, right femur, and associated fragments [ 44 ].…”

Section: Systematic Palaeontologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The four dorsal ribs that comprise part of AODF 0906 are poorly preserved and incomplete. Whereas all lack their proximal ends, some preserve enough of their distal ends to demonstrate that they were plank-like, as in all titanosauriforms [ 104 ], including all Australian Cretaceous sauropod taxa for which ribs are known: Austrosaurus mckillopi [ 39 ], Wintonotitan [ 9 , 36 ], Diamantinasaurus [ 9 , 39 , 44 ] and Savannasaurus [ 40 ].…”

Section: Postcranial Axial Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Neither the medial nor lateral surface has a vascular groove, differentiating it from several titanosauriform taxa, including Paludititan nalatzensis [256]. The lack of vascular grooves also differentiates this ungual from the manual unguals of the Diamantinasaurus matildae holotype specimen (AODF 0603) and juvenile referred specimen (AODF 0663) [9,37,44]. The ventral margin appears to show a small tuberosity near the distal end, a feature that characterizes most somphospondylans, including the non-titanosaurians Euhelopus , Tangvayosaurus , Tastavinsaurus and Gobititan , and the titanosaurs Malawisaurus , Epachthosaurus , Mendozasaurus and Muyelensaurus [38,101,220].…”

Section: Hind Limbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…→ 0; [43]); C513 (? → 1; [44]); C546 (? → 0; [43]). Diamantinasaurus matildae AODF 0836 (including AODF 2298 [tooth]): C108 (?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A nearly complete skull of the sauropod dinosaurDiamantinasaurus matildaefrom the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Australia and implications for the early evolution of titanosaurs

et al. 2023

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Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs were diverse and abundant throughout the Cretaceous, with a global distribution. However, few titanosaurian taxa are represented by multiple skeletons, let alone skulls. Diamantinasaurus matildae , from the lower Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, was heretofore represented by three specimens, including one that preserves a braincase and several other cranial elements. Herein, we describe a fourth specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae that preserves a more complete skull—including numerous cranial elements not previously known for this taxon—as well as a partial postcranial skeleton. The skull of Diamantinasaurus matildae shows many similarities to that of the coeval Sarmientosaurus musacchioi from Argentina (e.g. quadratojugal with posterior tongue-like process; braincase with more than one ossified exit for cranial nerve V; compressed-cone–chisel-like teeth), providing further support for the inclusion of both taxa within the clade Diamantinasauria. The replacement teeth within the premaxilla of the new specimen are morphologically congruent with teeth previously attributed to Diamantinasaurus matildae , and Diamantinasauria more broadly, corroborating those referrals. Plesiomorphic characters of the new specimen include a sacrum comprising five vertebrae (also newly demonstrated in the holotype of Diamantinasaurus matildae ), rather than the six or more that typify other titanosaurs. However, we demonstrate that there have been a number of independent acquisitions of a six-vertebrae sacrum among Somphospondyli and/or that there have been numerous reversals to a five-vertebrae sacrum, suggesting that sacral count is relatively plastic. Other newly identified plesiomorphic features include: the overall skull shape, which is more similar to brachiosaurids than ‘derived' titanosaurs; anterior caudal centra that are amphicoelous, rather than procoelous; and a pedal phalangeal formula estimated as 2-2-3-2-0. These features are consistent with either an early-branching position within Titanosauria, or a position just outside the titanosaurian radiation, for Diamantinasauria, as indicated by alternative character weighting approaches applied in our phylogenetic analyses, and help to shed light on the early assembly of titanosaurian anatomy that has until now been obscured by a poor fossil record.

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Section: Hind Limbmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Systematic Palaeontologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Postcranial Axial Skeletonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hind Limbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…→ 0; [43]); C513 (? → 1; [44]); C546 (? → 0; [43]). Diamantinasaurus matildae AODF 0836 (including AODF 2298 [tooth]): C108 (?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A nearly complete skull of the sauropod dinosaurDiamantinasaurus matildaefrom the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Australia and implications for the early evolution of titanosaurs

et al. 2023

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The origin of an invasive air sac system in sauropodomorph dinosaurs

Aureliano

Ghilardi

Müller

et al. 2023

The Anatomical Record

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One of the most remarkable features in sauropod dinosaurs relates to their pneumatized skeletons permeated by a bird‐like air sac system. Many studies described the late evolution and diversification of this trait in mid to late Mesozoic forms but few focused on the origin of the invasive respiratory diverticula in sauropodomorphs. Fortunately, it is possible to solve this thanks to the boom of new species described in the last decade as well as the broad accessibility of new technologies. Here we analyze the unaysaurid sauropodomorph Macrocollum itaquii from the Late Triassic (early Norian) of southern Brazil using micro‐computed tomography. We describe the chronologically oldest and phylogenetically earliest unambiguous evidence of an invasive air sac system in a dinosaur. Surprisingly, this species presented a unique pattern of pneumatization in non‐sauropod sauropodomorphs, with pneumatic foramina in posterior cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae. This suggests that patterns of pneumatization were not cladistically consistent prior to the arrival of Jurassic eusauropods. Additionally, we describe the protocamerae tissue, a new type of pneumatic tissue with properties of both camellae and camerae. This reverts the previous hypothesis which stated that the skeletal pneumatization first evolved into camarae, and derived into delicate trabecular arrangements. This tissue is evidence of thin camellate‐like tissue developing into larger chambers. Finally, Macrocollum is an example of the gradual evolution of skeletal tissues responding to the fastly specializing Respiratory System of saurischian dinosaurs.

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