Open Paleo

Zapalasaurus

Salgado et al., 2006 ZAP-a-la-SOR-us

Named for Zapala, a city in Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina, near where the fossils were found, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard'.

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

Zapalasaurus is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous-aged La Amarga Formation of what is today Patagonia. The type and only species is Z. bonapartei.

Diagnosis

  1. Cervical neural arches with lamina uniting prezygapophysis and zygapophysial sector of postzygodiapophyseal lamina
  2. Cervical neural arches with postzygodiapophyseal lamina reduced in diapophyseal sector
  3. Cervical neural arches with spinoprezygapophysial laminae poorly developed, not reaching neural spine tip
  4. Mid and posterior caudal vertebrae with anteroposteriorly elongated neural spines with anterodorsal corner elevated above posterodorsal corner
  5. Caudal vertebrae doubling in length over first 20 vertebrae

Species

Zapalasaurus bonapartei Salgado et al., 2006

Type species

Named for José F. Bonaparte, the prominent Argentine paleontologist who led the excavation team that recovered the holotype specimen.

Holotype
Pv-6127-MOZ , Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales "Dr, Prof. Juan A. Olsacher"
Material
Mid-anterior cervical vertebra, fragment of sacral transverse process, 17 caudal vertebrae, left ischium, left pubis, ilium fragment, incomplete left femur, complete left tibia
Horizon
Piedra Parada Member, La Amarga Formation, Barremian–Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Puesto Morales, Neuquén, Argentina

References

  1. Salgado, L.; Carvalho, I. de S.; Garrido, A. C. (2006). Zapalasaurus bonapartei, un nuevo dinosaurio saurópodo de La Formación La Amarga (Cretácico Inferior), noroeste de Patagonia, Provincia de Neuquén, Argentina. Geobios 39(5): 695-707. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2005.06.001 salgado2006b
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length and mass estimates.

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

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026b