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Aeolosaurini

Franco-Rosas et al., 2004 Type genus Aeolosaurus

Its genera lived 100.5–66.0 million years ago Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Aeolosaurini is a clade of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period, best known from Argentina and Brazil. Its members include Aeolosaurus, Gondwanatitan, Maxakalisaurus, Panamericansaurus, and Rinconsaurus, and the group spans a wide range of body sizes, from relatively small forms such as Shingopana and Overosaurus to large animals like Aeolosaurus maximus. The clade is distinguished by a suite of features in the tail vertebrae, including angled centra, elongated prezygapophyses, and neural arches shifted forward relative to the centra. In life these traits may have given the tail a strong downward curve, which could have increased the pull of the caudofemoralis longus muscle used to draw back the hindlimb.

Diagnosis

  1. Anterior and middle caudal neural spines strongly inclined anteriorly
  2. Caudal prezygapophyses elongate, projecting beyond the anterior margin of the centrum
  3. Strongly procoelous caudal centra with prominent distal condyles
  4. Haemal arches with an anterior expansion

Genera placed directly in Aeolosaurini

  • Adamantisaurus Santucci & Bertini, 2006 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Brazil
  • Aeolosaurus Powell, 1987 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Argentina
  • Arrudatitan Silva Junior et al., 2022 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Brazil
  • Baurutitan Kellner et al., 2005 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Brazilunder dispute
  • Bravasaurus Hechenleitner et al., 2020 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Argentina
  • Caieiria Silva Junior et al., 2022 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Brazil
  • Gondwanatitan Kellner & Azevedo, 1999 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Brazil
  • Maxakalisaurus Kellner et al., 2006 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Brazil
  • Mesetasaurus Soto Núñez et al., 2026 Coniacian–Maastrichtian (89.8–66.0 Ma)Uruguay
  • Overosaurus Coria et al., 2013 Santonian (85.7–83.6 Ma)Argentina
  • Panamericansaurus Calvo & Porfiri, 2010 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Argentina
  • Punatitan Hechenleitner et al., 2020 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Argentina
  • Shingopana Gorscak et al., 2017 Cenomanian–Campanian (100.5–72.2 Ma)Tanzania
  • Trigonosaurus Disputed Campos et al., 2005 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Brazil

References

  1. Franco-Rosas, A. C.; Salgado, L.; Rosas, C. F.; Carvalho, I. S. (2004). Nuevos materiales de titanosaurios (Sauropoda) en el Cretácico Superior de Mato Grosso, Brasil [New titanosaur (Sauropoda) material from the Upper Cretaceous of Mato Grosso, Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 7(3): 329-336.

    Named Aeolosaurini as the most inclusive clade containing Aeolosaurus rionegrinus and Gondwanatitan faustoi but not Saltasaurus loricatus or Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii, and diagnosed it.

    franco-rosas2004a
  2. Carballido, J. L.; Pol, D.; Otero, A.; Cerda, I. A.; Salgado, L.; Garrido, A. C.; Ramezani, J.; Cúneo, N. R.; Krause, J. M. (2017). A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284(1860): 20171219. The Royal Society. doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.1219

    Redefined Aeolosaurini as the least inclusive clade containing Aeolosaurus rionegrinus and Gondwanatitan faustoi, in the analysis describing Patagotitan, which places Aeolosaurus within Rinconsauria.

    carballido2017a