Open Paleo

Atsinganosaurus

Garcia et al., 2010 at-sin-ga-no-sor-us

From the Greek word 'τσιγγάνος' or 'αθίγγανος' meaning 'gypsy', referring to the possible migration from east to west of the species, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'. The species name honors its discovery locality Velaux-La Bastide Neuve.

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Atsinganosaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur which existed in what is now France during the Late Cretaceous. Well-preserved remains (and the only known) of Atsinganosaurus were collected from the Grès à Reptiles Formation of the Aix-en-Provence Basin. The type and only species is A. velauciensis.

Diagnosis

  1. Anterior cervical vertebrae without marked pleurocoels on lateral sides
  2. Posterior dorsal vertebrae with an accessory lamina connecting the posterior centrodiapophyseal and postzygodiapophyseal laminae
  3. Absence of hyposphene-hypantrum articulation in posterior dorsal vertebrae
  4. Sacrum with five opisthocoelous fused vertebrae, with pleurocoels present only on the first vertebra
  5. Coracoid foramen equidistant from the dorsal and ventral margins of the coracoid
  6. Distal end of humerus very slightly transversely expanded; dorsal edge of scapular blade perpendicular to proximal expansion of scapula

Species

Atsinganosaurus velauciensis Garcia et al., 2010

Type species

Named for the discovery site at Velaux-La Bastide Neuve in southern France.

Holotype
VBN.93.01.a-d , Université de Poitiers
Material
Four articulated posterior dorsal vertebrae.
Horizon
Argiles et Grès à Reptiles Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
La Bastide Neuve, Velaux, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

References

  1. Garcia, G.; Amico, S.; Fournier, F.; Thouand, E.; Valentin, X. (2010). A new Titanosaur genus (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of southern France and its paleobiogeographic implications. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 181(3): 269-277. EDP Sciences. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.181.3.269 garcia2010a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b
  3. Díez Díaz, V.; Garcia, G.; Pereda-Suberbiola, X.; Jentgen-Ceschino, B.; Stein, K.; Godefroit, P.; Valentin, X. (2018). The titanosaurian dinosaur Atsinganosaurus velauciensis (Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of southern France. New material, phylogenetic affinities, and palaeobiogeographical implications. Cretaceous Research 91: 429-456. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.06.015

    Assigns the type locality, Velaux-La Bastide Neuve, to the Argiles et Grès à Reptiles Formation of the Aix-en-Provence Basin, which the describing paper does not name.

    díezdíaz2018a