Limaysaurus
Encyclopedia
Limaysaurus is a herbivorous rebbachisaurid
sauropod dinosaur
from the Lower Cretaceous
of northwestern Patagonia
.
Limaysaurus includes a single type species
, Limaysaurus tessonei, which was originally referred to the genus Rebbachisaurus
as Rebbachisaurus tessonei by Jorge Calvo and Leonardo Salgado in 1995. The genus Limaysaurus was named in 2004 by Salgado, Alberto Garrido, Sergio Cocca and Juan Cocca. The generic name is derived from the Río Limay. The holotype
specimen, MUCPv-205, a partial skeleton including the back of the skull, was found in 1988 by Lieto Francisco Tessone, who is honoured in the specific name. It was afterwards collected, together with MUCPv-206, a second fragmentary skeleton, by José Bonaparte
. Additional material referred to Limaysaurus was uncovered between 1995 and 2002 from the Puesto Quiroga Member of the Lohan Cura Formation
at Cerro Aguada del León in the south-central part of Neuquén Province
, Patagonia, Argentina
. These beds appear to date from the Aptian
-Albian
interval.
Limaysaurus was a medium-sized sauropod. Gregory S. Paul
in 2010 estimated its length at fifteen metres and its weight at seven tonnes. The neural spines on its back were very tall.
The describing authors in 2004 assigned Limaysaurus to the Rebbachisauridae. The Rebbachisauridae are a basal
clade
within the Diplodocimorpha
, and their remains have been found in Cretaceous-age rocks
in Europe
, South America
, and Africa
. A cladistic analysis of macronaria
n sauropods (Salgado et al., 2004; Fig. 6) demonstrated close affinities between Limaysaurus, Rebbachisaurus
, and Nigersaurus
.
Rebbachisauridae
Rebbachisauridae is a family of sauropod dinosaurs known from fragmentary fossil remains from the Cretaceous of South America, Africa, and Europe.-Taxonomy:...
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 Lower 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...
of northwestern Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Limaysaurus includes a single 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...
, Limaysaurus tessonei, which was originally referred to the genus Rebbachisaurus
Rebbachisaurus
Rebbachisaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur of the superfamily Diplodocoidea, up to 20 meters long, that lived during the Early-Late Cretaceous period in Africa about 99 million years ago. This massive four-legged plant-eating animal had a small head, a long, graceful neck and a whiplike...
as Rebbachisaurus tessonei by Jorge Calvo and Leonardo Salgado in 1995. The genus Limaysaurus was named in 2004 by Salgado, Alberto Garrido, Sergio Cocca and Juan Cocca. The generic name is derived from the Río Limay. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
specimen, MUCPv-205, a partial skeleton including the back of the skull, was found in 1988 by Lieto Francisco Tessone, who is honoured in the specific name. It was afterwards collected, together with MUCPv-206, a second fragmentary skeleton, by José Bonaparte
José Bonaparte
José Fernando Bonaparte, Ph.D. , is an Argentine paleontologist who discovered a plethora of South American dinosaurs and mentored a new generation of Argentine paleontologists like Rodolfo Coria...
. Additional material referred to Limaysaurus was uncovered between 1995 and 2002 from the Puesto Quiroga Member of the Lohan Cura Formation
Lohan Cura Formation
The Lohan Cura Formation is a geologic formation with outcrops in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza. It is the second oldest Cretaceous terrestrial formation in the Neuquén Basin....
at Cerro Aguada del León in the south-central part of Neuquén Province
Neuquén Province
Neuquén is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west...
, Patagonia, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. These beds appear to date from the Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
-Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...
interval.
Gregory S. Paul
Gregory Scott Paul is a freelance researcher, author and illustrator who works in paleontology, and more recently has examined sociology and theology. He is best known for his work and research on theropod dinosaurs and his detailed illustrations, both live and skeletal...
in 2010 estimated its length at fifteen metres and its weight at seven tonnes. The neural spines on its back were very tall.
The describing authors in 2004 assigned Limaysaurus to the Rebbachisauridae. The Rebbachisauridae are a basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
within the Diplodocimorpha
Diplodocid
Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae , are a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the earth, including Diplodocus and Supersaurus, which may have reached lengths of up to .-Description:While still massive, when compared to the...
, and their remains have been found in Cretaceous-age rocks
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. A cladistic analysis of macronaria
Macronaria
Macronaria is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous Periods of what are now North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The name means 'large nostrils' , in reference to the large nasal openings high on the head that probably supported fleshy...
n sauropods (Salgado et al., 2004; Fig. 6) demonstrated close affinities between Limaysaurus, Rebbachisaurus
Rebbachisaurus
Rebbachisaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur of the superfamily Diplodocoidea, up to 20 meters long, that lived during the Early-Late Cretaceous period in Africa about 99 million years ago. This massive four-legged plant-eating animal had a small head, a long, graceful neck and a whiplike...
, and Nigersaurus
Nigersaurus
Nigersaurus is a genus of diplodocoid sauropod dinosaur from the middle Cretaceous period, about 119 to 99 million years ago during the Aptian or Albian age. This dinosaur was described by Paul Sereno and colleagues in 1999...
.