Open Paleo

Drusilasaura

Navarrete et al., 2011 droo-SEE-luh-SAWR-uh

Named after Drusila Ortiz de Zárate, a member of the family that owned the María Aike Ranch where the fossil was found, combined with Latin 'saura' (feminine form of 'saurus') meaning 'lizard'; means 'Drusila's lizard'.

100.5–89.8 million years ago Cenomanian–Turonian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Drusilasaura is an extinct genus of possible lognkosaurian titanosaur sauropod dinosaur which lived during the late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian stage) of Santa Cruz Province of southern Patagonia, Argentina.

Diagnosis

  1. Two robust spinodiapophysial laminae (anterior and posterior) in anterior dorsal vertebrae delimiting an elongated and deep supradiapophysial cavity
  2. Small circumneural lamina surrounding the neural canal in posterior view of the anterior dorsal vertebra
  3. Prespinal laminae expanded toward the apex of the neural spine in at least the first five caudal vertebrae
  4. Tuberopostzygapophysial laminae present in the anterior caudal vertebrae
  5. Ventral foramina present on the ventral face of the vertebral centrum in at least the fourth caudal vertebra

Species

Drusilasaura deseadensis Navarrete et al., 2011

Type species

Named for the Río Deseado, the river near the region where the holotype was found.

Holotype
MPM-PV 2097/1 , Museo Padre Molina, Rio Gallegos
Material
Partial skeleton.
Horizon
upper Bajo Barreal Formation, Cenomanian–Turonian, Late Cretaceous , 100.5–89.8 million years ago
Locality
estancia María Aike, Santa Cruz, Argentina

References

  1. Navarrete, C.; Casal, G.; Martínez, R. (2011). Drusilasaura deseadensis gen. et sp. nov., un nuevo titanosaurio (Dinosauria-Sauropoda), de la Formación Bajo Barreal, Cretácico Superior del norte de Santa Cruz, Argentina [Drusilasaura deseadensis gen. et sp. nov., a New Titanosaur (Dinosauria-Sauropoda) of the Bajo Barreal Formation, Upper Cretaceous of North of Santa Cruz, Argentina]. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PALEONTOLOGIA 14(1): 1-14. Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontologia. doi:10.4072/rbp.2011.1.01

    The original description. Notes the horizon lies above the levels the Cenomanian-Turonian age was read from, which are in the Lower Member.

    navarrete2011a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length estimate.

    jones2026b
  3. Casal, G. A.; Allard, J. O.; Foix, N. (2015). Análisis estratigráfico y paleontológico de afloramientos del Cretácico Superior en la cuenca del Golfo San Jorge: propuesta de nueva unidad litoestratigráfica para el Grupo Chubut. Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 72(1): 81-99.

    Places the Lago Colhué Huapi Formation above the Bajo Barreal's Upper Member rather than in place of it, and keeps this taxon in that member.

    casal2015a