Open Paleo

Arrudatitan

Silva Junior et al., 2022 ar-HU-da-TIE-tuhn

Named after Arruda (a person's name honored in the genus), combined with Greek Titan meaning 'giant'; overall meaning 'Arruda's giant'.

83.6–66.0 million years ago Campanian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Arrudatitan is an extinct genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian)-aged Adamantina Formation of Brazil. The type species, A. maximus, was named and described in 2011 as a species of Aeolosaurus, but was separated into its own genus in 2022. It was relatively gracile for a titanosaur.

Diagnosis

  1. Posterior cervical vertebrae with posterior centrodiapophyseal lamina (pcdl) at least 50% thicker than the postzygodiapophyseal lamina (podl).
  2. Posterior trunk vertebrae with oblique anterior centropostzygapophyseal lamina (acpol) that bifurcates from the proximal portion of the centropostzygapophyseal lamina (cpol).
  3. Accessory intrapostzygapophyseal lamina on posterior trunk vertebrae, creating two small lateral camerae on the spinopostzygapophyseal fossa.
  4. Mid-trunk ribs with well-developed anterior and posterior crests producing a D-shaped cross section.

Species

Arrudatitan maximus Silva Junior et al., 2022

Type species

From Latin 'maximus' meaning 'greatest' or 'largest', in reference to the large size of the taxon; originally published as 'Aeolosaurus maximus' before the genus was renamed Arrudatitan to honor the late Professor Antonio Celso de Arruda Campos, one of the original describers.

Holotype
MPMA 12-0001-97 , Museu de Paleontologia "Prof
Material
Two incomplete posterior cervical vertebrae, seven incomplete cervical ribs, fragmentary trunk vertebrae, 12 incomplete trunk ribs, six articulated anterior caudal vertebrae, haemal arches, fragmentary scapula, incomplete humeri, radius, femora, left ischium, and unidentified fragments.
Horizon
Adamantina Formation, Campanian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Santa Irene farm, São Paulo, Brazil

References

  1. Silva Junior, J. C. G.; Martinelli, A. G.; Iori, F. V.; Marinho, T. S.; Hechenleitner, E. M.; Langer, M. C. (2022). Reassessment of Aeolosaurus maximus, a titanosaur dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Southeastern Brazil. Historical Biology 34(3): 403-411. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/08912963.2021.1920016 silvajunior2022b
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b