Rocasaurus
Named for General Roca, a city in Río Negro Province, Argentina, near where the fossils were found, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'; meaning 'General Roca lizard.'
Rocasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod that lived in South America. Rocasaurus was discovered in Argentina in 2000, within the Allen Formation which is dated to be middle Campanian to early Maastrichtian in age (75 to 70 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous). This genus grew up to 8 meters (26 ft) long, making it one of the smaller sauropods. It seems to be closely related to saltasaurid dinosaurs, like Saltasaurus and Neuquensaurus. The type species, Rocasaurus muniozi, was formally described by Leonardo Salgado and Azpilicueta in 2000.
Diagnosis
- Distal expansion on lateral margin of pubis
- Ischium with extensive lamina, notably more extensive than in Saltasaurus and Neuquensaurus
- Caudal vertebrae with deep ventral cavity divided by longitudinal partition
- Posterior articulation of caudal centra notably depressed and extended ventrally forward
- Neural spine wide and anteroposteriorly compressed in dorsal vertebrae
Species
Rocasaurus muniozi Salgado & Azpilicueta, 2000
Type species
Named for Juan Carlos Muñoz, director of paleontology at the Carlos Ameghino Provincial Museum, in recognition of support for paleontological research in the region.
- Holotype
- MPCA-PV 46 , Museo provincial de Cipolletti "Carlos Ameghino"
- Material
- Cervical centrum and neural arch, two dorsal centra, three dorsal neural arches, two sacral neural arches, middle caudal and middle-posterior caudal vertebrae, two ischia, left pubis, left ilium, fragment of right ilium, left femur
- Horizon
- lower Allen Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
- Locality
- Salitral Moreno, Río Negro, Argentina
References
- Salgado, L.; Azpilicueta, C. (2000). Un nuevo saltasaurino (Sauropoda, Titanosauridae) de la provincia de Río Negro (Formación Allen, Cretácico Superior), Patagonia, Argentina [A new saltasaurine (Sauropoda, Titanosauridae) from Río Negro province (Allen Formation, Upper Cretaceous), Patagonia, Argentina]. Ameghiniana 37(3): 259-264. salgado2000a