Open Paleo

Tataouinea

Fanti et al., 2013 ta-tah-wee-nee-uh

Named for the Tataouine Governorate of Tunisia, where the fossils were discovered.

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

Tataouinea is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur in the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae of Rebbachisauridae which lived in the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia. Only one species, T. hannibalis, is known.

Diagnosis

  1. Elliptical foramen in lateral surface of fourth sacral neural spine penetrating camerate sector
  2. Anteriormost caudal vertebrae with large elliptical pleurocoel in lateral surface of centrum
  3. Lateral lamina in anterior caudal neural spines inverted Y-shaped, formed by merged spinoprezygapophyseal and spinodiapophysial laminae
  4. Large elliptical foramen in medial surface of ischial iliac peduncle

Species

Tataouinea hannibalis Fanti et al., 2013

Type species

Named for Hannibal, the renowned Carthaginian Punic military commander, in reference to the historical Carthaginian presence in the region of Tunisia where the fossil was found.

Holotype
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Material
Sacrum and 5 anteriormost caudal vertebrae, both ilia, both ischia.
Horizon
Oum ed Diab Member, Aïn el Guettar Formation, Albian, Early Cretaceous , 113.2–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Jebel El Mra, Tataouine, Tunisia

References

  1. Fanti, F.; Cau, A.; Hassine, M.; Contessi, M. (2013). A new sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia with extreme avian-like pneumatization. Nature Communications 4(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/ncomms3080 fanti2013a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026b