Huanghetitan
Encyclopedia
Huanghetitan is a genus
of sauropod dinosaur
from the early Cretaceous Period. It was a basal titanosauriform which lived in what is now Gansu
, China
.
The type species
, Huanghetitan liujiaxiaensis, was described by You et al. in 2006. It is known from fragmentary materials including two caudal vertebrae, an almost complete sacrum
, rib fragments, and the left shoulder girdle, and was discovered in the eastern part of the Lanzhou Basin (Hekou group) in the Gansu Province in 2004.
A second species, H. ruyangensis, was described in 2007 from the Magchuan Formation of Ruyang County
, China (Henan Province). It is known from a partial vertebral column and several ribs, the size of which (the largest approaches 3 m (10 ft)) indicate it had among the deepest body cavities of any known dinosaur. This second species, along with its local relatives Daxiatitan
and Ruyangosaurus
, is one of the biggest dinosaurs ever found in Asia, and possibly one of the largest in the world.
In 2007, Lu et al. created a new family
for Huanghetitan, the Huangetitanidae. They are a primitive group by Cretaceous
sauropod standards, near the very base of the Titanosauria between Euhelopus
and the Andesauridae.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the early Cretaceous Period. It was a basal titanosauriform which lived in what is now Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Huanghetitan liujiaxiaensis, was described by You et al. in 2006. It is known from fragmentary materials including two caudal vertebrae, an almost complete sacrum
Sacrum
In vertebrate anatomy the sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and bottom part with the coccyx...
, rib fragments, and the left shoulder girdle, and was discovered in the eastern part of the Lanzhou Basin (Hekou group) in the Gansu Province in 2004.
A second species, H. ruyangensis, was described in 2007 from the Magchuan Formation of Ruyang County
Ruyang County
Ruyang County is a county in the Henan province of central China, under the jurisdiction of the city of Luoyang.Ruyang County has been the site of several major discoveries of fossilized dinosaur bones, including Huanghetitan ruyangensis, which was first described in 2007.-External links:****...
, China (Henan Province). It is known from a partial vertebral column and several ribs, the size of which (the largest approaches 3 m (10 ft)) indicate it had among the deepest body cavities of any known dinosaur. This second species, along with its local relatives Daxiatitan
Daxiatitan
Daxiatitan is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Lanzhou Basin, Gansu Province, northwestern China. It is known from fossils including several neck vertebrae, a shoulder blade, and a thigh bone....
and Ruyangosaurus
Ruyangosaurus
Ruyangosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur recovered from the Late Cretaceous Mangchuan Formation of China. The type species is R. giganteus, described in 2009 by a group of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Henan Geological Museum.Along with Huanghetitan and Daxiatitan,...
, is one of the biggest dinosaurs ever found in Asia, and possibly one of the largest in the world.
In 2007, Lu et al. created a new family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
for Huanghetitan, the Huangetitanidae. They are a primitive group by Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
sauropod standards, near the very base of the Titanosauria between Euhelopus
Euhelopus
Euhelopus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous, between 130 and 112 million years ago . It lived in what is now Shandong Province in China. A large herbivore, it weighed approximately 15-20 tons and attained an adult length of 15m...
and the Andesauridae.
