Astrophocaudia
From Greek 'a-' meaning 'not', 'stropho-' meaning 'twisting', and 'caud-' meaning 'tail', giving 'non-twisting tail' in reference to the closely-connected hyposphene-hypantrum articulation of the caudal vertebrae; alternatively readable as 'star tail' (Greek 'astron' + 'caud'), also honoring Astrodon.
Early Cretaceous stages
Astrophocaudia is an extinct genus of somphospondylan sauropod known from the later part of the Early Cretaceous (Albian stage) of Texas, United States. Its remains were discovered in the Paluxy Formation. The type species is A. slaughteri, described in 2012.
Diagnosis
- Anterior-middle caudal vertebrae with planar hyposphene-hypantrum articulations set off from zygapophyses
- Anterior-middle caudal vertebrae with prespinal lamina contacting intraprezygapophyseal lamina
Species
Astrophocaudia slaughteri D'Emic, 2012
Type species
Named for Robert Slaughter, the paleontologist who originally discovered and excavated the fossil remains in Texas in the 1960s.
- Holotype
- SMU 61732, SMU 203/73655 , Shuler Museum of Paleontology, Southern Methodist University
- Material
- A tooth, two cervical vertebrae, fragments of dorsal vertebrae, 24 caudal vertebrae, approximately 20 fragmentary dorsal ribs, two chevrons, a distal scapular blade, part of a right ilium, and numerous fragments.
- Horizon
- middle Paluxy Formation, Albian, Early Cretaceous , 113.2–100.5 million years ago
- Locality
- Walnut Creek, Texas, United States
References
- D'Emic, M. D. (2012). Revision of the sauropod dinosaurs of the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group, southern USA, with the description of a new genus. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 11(6): 707-726. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.667446 d'emic2012c
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Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the hip height estimate.
jones2026b