Open Paleo

Lognkosauria

Calvo et al., 2007

Its genera lived 113.2–66.0 million years ago Early Cretaceous–Late Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous stages

Lognkosauria is a clade of giant, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs within Titanosauria, encompassing Futalognkosaurus, Mendozasaurus and their close relatives. It includes some of the largest and heaviest land animals ever known, among them Argentinosaurus, Patagotitan, Puertasaurus, Notocolossus, Drusilasaura and Traukutitan, with Malawisaurus possibly related as well. Its members lived mainly in the Cretaceous of South America, with occurrences reported from Africa and possibly Asia. Lognkosaurians are set apart from other titanosaurs by the wide, unusually thick rib loops on their neck vertebrae, a relatively narrow neural canal, and huge vaulted neural arches. Their trunk vertebrae are also very broad, bearing wing-like lateral processes roughly level with the neural canal, and their rib cages are exceptionally wide.

Diagnosis

  1. Cervical and dorsal vertebrae extremely wide transversely, with markedly expanded neural spines
  2. Anterior caudal vertebrae with wide, dorsoventrally low neural arches
  3. Robust, transversely broad limb bones
  4. Large body size, including the largest known sauropods

Genera placed directly in Lognkosauria

  • Argentinosaurus Bonaparte & Coria, 1993 Cenomanian–Turonian (100.5–89.8 Ma)Argentina
  • Drusilasaura Navarrete et al., 2011 Cenomanian–Turonian (100.5–89.8 Ma)Argentina
  • Futalognkosaurus Calvo et al., 2007 Turonian–Coniacian (93.9–85.7 Ma)Argentina
  • Mendozasaurus González Riga, 2003 Coniacian (89.8–85.7 Ma)Argentina
  • Notocolossus González Riga et al., 2016 Coniacian–Santonian (89.8–83.6 Ma)Argentina
  • Patagotitan Carballido et al., 2017 Albian (113.2–100.5 Ma)Argentina
  • Phosphatotitan Longrich et al., 2026 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Morocco
  • Puertasaurus Novas et al., 2005 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Argentina
  • Quetecsaurus González Riga & Ortiz David, 2013 Turonian (93.9–89.8 Ma)Argentina

References

  1. Calvo, J. O.; Porfiri, J. D.; González Riga, B. J.; Kellner, A. W. A. (2007). A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 79(3): 529-541. FapUNIFESP (SciELO). doi:10.1590/s0001-37652007000300013

    Erected Lognkosauria.

    calvo2007a