Open Paleo

Comahuesaurus

Carballido et al., 2012 KOH-muh-hoo-SOR-us

Named after the Comahue region of Patagonia, Argentina, where the fossils were found, + Greek sauros ('lizard'), meaning 'Comahue lizard'.

121.4–100.5 million years ago Aptian–Albian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Comahuesaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur of the family Rebbachisauridae. It was found in the Lohan Cura Formation in Argentina, and lived during the Early Cretaceous (Aptian to Albian). The type species is C. windhauseni, named for Anselmo Windhausen, who contributed significantly to the geological study of Patagonia.

Diagnosis

  1. Anterior dorsal centra with strong lateral constriction, resulting in a thin ventral keel
  2. Anterior dorsal vertebrae with long prezygapophyses, which in anterior view cover around 3/4 of the transverse processes
  3. Anterior dorsal vertebrae with two spinoprezygapophyseal laminae
  4. Anterior dorsal vertebrae with two spinodiapophyseal laminae, an anterior and a posterior one
  5. Anterior median lamina formed by three different laminae: the anterior and posterior spinoprezygapophyseal laminae and the anterior spinodiapophyseal
  6. Posterior dorsal centra with the centroprezygapophyseal lamina medially divided
  7. Posterior dorsal neural arches with three spinopostzygapophyseal laminae
  8. Double contact between the posterior spinodiapophyseal lamina and the lateral spinopostzygapophyseal lamina

Species

Comahuesaurus windhauseni Carballido et al., 2012

Type species

Named for Anselmo Windhausen, who contributed significantly to the geological study of Patagonia.

Holotype
MOZ-Pv 6722 , Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales "Dr, Prof. Juan A. Olsacher"
Material
Posterior dorsal neural arch
Horizon
Puesto Quiroga Member, Lohan Cura Formation, Aptian–Albian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Cerro Aguada del León, Neuquén, Argentina

References

  1. Carballido, J. L.; Salgado, L.; Pol, D.; Canudo, J. I.; Garrido, A. (2012). A new basal rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Early Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin; evolution and biogeography of the group. Historical Biology 24(6): 631-654. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.672416 carballido2012a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length and mass estimates.

    paul2024a