Open Paleo

Tastavinsaurus

Canudo et al., 2008 tas-tuh-VIN-SAWR-us

Named in honor of the Rio Tastavins in Spain, where the fossils were found.

125.8–113.2 million years ago Barremian–Aptian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Tastavinsaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur belonging to the Titanosauriformes. It is based on a partial skeleton from the Early Cretaceous Xert Formation of Spain. The type species is Tastavinsaurus sanzi, named in honor of the Rio Tastavins in Spain and Spanish paleontologist José Luis Sanz. The genus is known from two specimens, one from the Xert Formation and one from the Forcall Formation. Tastavinsaurus was originally described as a somphospondylan, but it may be a brachiosaurid. The clade Laurasiformes was coined for Tastavinsaurus and its close relatives, which may include Cedarosaurus, Soriatitan, and Venenosaurus.

Under dispute

Tastavinsaurus is most often recovered as a basal somphospondylan (Canudo and colleagues, 2008; D'Emic, 2012; Mocho and colleagues, 2023; Mayer and colleagues, 2026), though analyses on the matrix of Carballido and colleagues place it more stemward, as a basal camarasauromorph outside Titanosauriformes (Carballido and colleagues, 2011, 2015). It was formerly the basis of the now-rejected clade Laurasiformes.

Diagnosis

  1. Caudalmost thoracic vertebra with postspinal process possessing two small accessory laminae at its base
  2. Interior of thoracic vertebral body constructed of big prismatic tubes forming honeycomb pattern in cross-section
  3. Sacricostal yoke ventrolateral to the vertebral bodies
  4. Postspinal fossae bounded by caudal zygapophyses and spinopostzygapophyseal lamina on first eight caudal vertebrae
  5. Ischium:pubis length ratio 0.70
  6. Cranioventral corner of distal extremity of pubis acute
  7. Lateral end of cnemial crest of tibia splits into two thin vertical crests separated by shallow wide groove
  8. Cranial trochanter of fibula well developed, forming crest that projects craniomedially
  9. Metatarsal I with robustness index value of 1.0
  10. Proximal end of metatarsal II 30 percent greater in area than metatarsal I

Species

Tastavinsaurus sanzi Canudo et al., 2008

Type species

Named for José Luis Sanz, a Spanish paleontologist, alongside the Rio Tastavins for which the genus is also named.

Holotype
MPZ 99/9 , Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Zaragoza
Material
Partial skeleton of an adult individual. Comprises three thoracic vertebrae, part of a fourth, nine thoracic rib fragments, sacrum, 25 caudal vertebrae, 21 chevrons, both ilia, pubes, ischia and femora, right tibia, right fibula, six metatarsals, and seven pedal phalanges including four unguals.
Horizon
Xert Formation, Barremian–Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Arsis 1, Peñarroya de Tastavins, Teruel, Spain Canudo and colleagues (2008) recovered the holotype "at the base of the marine Xert Formation", the level Bover-Arnal and colleagues (2016) date by an ammonite of the lower Martelites sarasini Subzone: latest Barremian on the ammonite zonation, earliest Aptian on the GTS2020 magnetochron M0r definition. Mocho and colleagues (2023) give Tastavinsaurus as "late Barremian–early Aptian".

References

  1. Canudo, J. I.; Royo-Torres, R.; Cuenca-Bescós, G. (2008). A new sauropod:Tastavinsaurus sanzi gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) of Spain. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3): 712-731. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[712:anstsg]2.0.co;2 canudo2008a
  2. Bover-Arnal, T.; Moreno-Bedmar, J. A.; Frijia, G.; Pascual-Cebrian, E.; Salas, R. (2016). Chronostratigraphy of the Barremian–Early Albian of the Maestrat Basin (E Iberian Peninsula): integrating strontium-isotope stratigraphy and ammonoid biostratigraphy. Newsletters on Stratigraphy 49: 41-68.

    Dates the lower Xert Formation, the holotype horizon, by a lower Martelites sarasini Subzone ammonite.

    bover-arnal2016a
  3. Gale, A. S.; Mutterlose, J.; Batenburg, S.; Gradstein, F. M.; Agterberg, F. P.; Ogg, J. G.; Petrizzo, M. R. (2020). The Cretaceous Period. Geologic Time Scale 2020 (Gradstein, F. M.; Ogg, J. G.; Schmitz, M. D.; Ogg, G. M., eds) 1023-1086. Elsevier, Amsterdam. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-824360-2.00027-9

    Source of the base-of-M0r definition of the Aptian.

    gale2020a
  4. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b
  5. Mocho, P.; Escaso, F.; Gasulla, J. M.; Galobart, À.; Poza, B.; Santos-Cubedo, A.; Sanz, J. L.; Ortega, F. (2023). New sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Morella (Spain) provides new insights on the evolutionary history of Iberian somphospondylan titanosauriforms. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 201(1): 214-268. Oxford University Press (OUP). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad124

    Described new Morella sauropod, recovering Tastavinsaurus as a basal somphospondylan.

    mocho2023a
  6. Mayer, E. L.; Silva Junior, J. C. G.; Kerber, L.; Navarro, B. A.; Bandeira, K. L. N.; Cisneros, J. C.; Sousa, E. P.; Pereira, A. A.; Medeiros, M. A.; Lindoso, R. M.; Cavalcanti Neto, F. P.; Ghilardi, A. M.; Aureliano, T.; Godoy, P. L.; Ferreira, G. S.; Langer, M. C. (2026). A new titanosauriform with European affinities in the Early Cretaceous of Brazil: insights on Somphospondyli phylogeny, histology and biogeography. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 24: 2601579. Taylor & Francis. doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2601579

    Described new European titanosauriform bearing on Tastavinsaurus's placement, formerly basis of Laurasiformes.

    mayer2026a
  7. D'Emic, M. D. (2012). The early evolution of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaurs. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166: 624-671. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00853.x

    Recovered Tastavinsaurus as a basal somphospondylan.

    d'emic2012b
  8. Carballido, J. L.; Rauhut, O. W. M.; Pol, D.; Salgado, L. (2011). Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Tehuelchesaurus benitezii (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Patagonia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163(2): 605-662. Wiley. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00723.x

    Recovered Tastavinsaurus as a basal camarasauromorph.

    carballido2011a
  9. Carballido, J. L.; Pol, D.; Parra Ruge, M. L.; Padilla Bernal, S.; Páramo-Fonseca, M. E.; Etayo-Serna, F. (2015). A new Early Cretaceous brachiosaurid (Dinosauria, Neosauropoda) from northwestern Gondwana (Villa de Leiva, Colombia). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35(5). Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.980505

    Recovered Tastavinsaurus as the sister of Titanosauriformes, within Camarasauromorpha.

    carballido2015a