Open Paleo

Gobititan

You et al., 2003 GO-be-TIE-tuhn

Named for the Gobi Desert region where the fossils were found, combined with the Titans of Greek mythology, in reference to the animal's large body size.

113.2–100.5 million years ago Albian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Gobititan is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Aptian faunal stage of the Early Cretaceous. The name of this genus is derived from the Gobi Desert region and the Titans of Greek mythology, which is a reference to its large body size. The specific name shenzhouensis, is derived from "Shenzhou", an ancient name for China.

Diagnosis

  1. Higher proximal than distal centrum articular faces in middle caudal vertebrae
  2. Distal placement of neural arches on most proximal distal caudal vertebrae
  3. Relatively short and rod-like distalmost caudal vertebrae

Species

Gobititan shenzhouensis You et al., 2003

Type species

Named for Shenzhou, an ancient poetic name for China.

Holotype
IVPP 12579 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Articulated series of 41 middle and distal caudal vertebrae and a complete left hind limb
Horizon
middle Zhonggou Formation, Albian, Early Cretaceous , 113.2–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Gongpoquan Basin, Gansu, China You and colleagues (2003) name no formation, giving only the middle gray unit of the Xinminpu Group; the Zhonggou assignment follows their 2014 revision of the same horizon in the same basin.

References

  1. You, H.; Tang, F.; Luo, Z. (2003). A new basal titanosaur (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 77(4): 424-429. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2003.tb00123.x you2003a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026b
  3. You, H. L.; Li, D. Q.; Dodson, P. (2014). Gongpoquansaurus mazongshanensis (Lü, 1997) comb. nov. (Ornithischia: Hadrosauroidea) from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, northwestern China. Hadrosaurs 73-76. Indiana University Press.

    Assigns the Gongpoquan Basin middle gray unit to the Zhonggou Formation.

    you2014a