Macronaria
Encyclopedia
Macronaria is a clade
of sauropod dinosaur
s from the Middle Jurassic
(Bathonian
) to Late Cretaceous
Periods of what are now North America
, South America
, Europe
, Asia
and Africa
. The name means 'large nostrils' (from Greek makros 'big' + Latin
nares 'nostrils'), in reference to the large nasal openings high on the head that probably supported fleshy resonating chambers. Macronaria consists of two main groups: the family Camarasauridae, and the clade Titanosauriformes. Titanosauriformes in turn contains the brachiosaurids and the titanosaur
ians and is one of the largest sauropod groups, which also contains most of the longest, tallest and most massive dinosaurs of all time.
below follows José Luis Barco Rodríguez (2010).
The cladogram below follows José L. Carballido, Oliver W. M. Rauhut, Diego Pol and Leonardo Salgado (2011).
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...
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...
s from the Middle Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
(Bathonian
Bathonian
In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age or stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 167.7 Ma to around 164.7 Ma...
) to Late 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...
Periods of what are now North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, 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...
, 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...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
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...
. The name means 'large nostrils' (from Greek makros 'big' + Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
nares 'nostrils'), in reference to the large nasal openings high on the head that probably supported fleshy resonating chambers. Macronaria consists of two main groups: the family Camarasauridae, and the clade Titanosauriformes. Titanosauriformes in turn contains the brachiosaurids and the titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
ians and is one of the largest sauropod groups, which also contains most of the longest, tallest and most massive dinosaurs of all time.
Systematics
- Branch Macronaria
- Family Haplocanthosauridae?
- Node Camarasauromorpha
- EuropasaurusEuropasaurusEuropasaurus is a basal macronarian sauropod, a form of quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaur. It lived during the Late Jurassic of northern Germany, and has been identified as an example of insular dwarfism resulting from the isolation of a sauropod population on an island within the Lower Saxony...
- GalveosaurusGalveosaurusGalveosaurus is an extinct genus of dinosaur from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods. Its fossils were found in Galve, Spain, hence its generic name, "Galve lizard". The specific name honours the discoverer, José María Herrero....
- JanenschiaJanenschiaJanenschia was a large sauropod from Late Jurassic Africa , and therefore the earliest known titanosaur. Originally thought to be a species of the diplodocid Tornieria/Barosaurus , it was later found to be a distantly related titanosaur. So far, it is only known from Tanzania...
- TehuelchesaurusTehuelchesaurusTehuelchesaurus is a genus of dinosaur. It is named in honor of the Tehuelche people native to the Argentinian province of Chubut, where it was first found....
- Family Camarasauridae
- Branch LaurasiformesLaurasiformesLaurasiformes is an extinct clade of camarasauromorph sauropods from the late Early Cretaceous of Europe and North America. It was named by Rafael Royo-Torres in 2009...
- Node Titanosauriformes
- BaotianmansaurusBaotianmansaurusBaotianmansaurus is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Cretaceous rocks in Henan, China. The type species is B. henanensis, described in 2009.-External links:*...
- BrontomerusBrontomerusBrontomerus is a genus of camarasauromorph sauropod which lived during the early Cretaceous . It was named in 2011 and the type species is Brontomerus mcintoshi...
- DuriatitanDuriatitanDuriatitan is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic in what is now United Kingdom. The holotype specimen of Duriatitan, BMNH 44635, is a partial left upper arm bone which was found by R.I. Smith near Sandsfoot in the lower Kimmeridge Clay from Dorset,...
- FusuisaurusFusuisaurusFusuisaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China....
- HuabeisaurusHuabeisaurusHuabeisaurus was a genus of dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous . It was a sauropod which lived in what is present-day northern China. The type species, Huabeisaurus allocotus, was first described by Pang and Cheng in 2000. The dinosaur closely resembles Opisthocoelicaudia, and was a quadrupal...
- DaanosaurusDaanosaurusDaanosaurus was a genus of dinosaur. It was a brachiosaurid sauropod which lived during the Late Jurassic. It lived in what is now China, and was similar to Bellusaurus.The type species, described in 2005, is Daanosaurus zhangi.-References:...
- "IschyrosaurusIschyrosaurus"Ischyrosaurus" was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian-age Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay of Dorset, Cambridgeshire, England...
" - LapparentosaurusLapparentosaurusLapparentosaurus is a genus of macronarian sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic. Its fossils were found in Madagascar.In 1895 Richard Lydekker named a new species of Bothriospondylus, B. madagascariensis based on fossils found before 1894 by J.T. Last in the Majunga Basin in layers of the...
- Family Bothriospondylidae
- Family BrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridae are a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as brachiosaurids. They were herbivorous quadrupeds with longer forelegs than hind legs - the name derives from the Greek for arm lizard - and long necks...
- Family Huanghetitanidae
- Family Pleurocoelidae
- Branch Somphospondyli
- AngolatitanAngolatitanAngolatitan is a genus of long-necked, plant eating sauropod dinosaur from Angola. It is known from a partial right arm including a shoulder blade, upper arm , the two bones of the lower arm , and three metacarpals...
- DaxiatitanDaxiatitanDaxiatitan 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....
- DongbeititanDongbeititanDongbeititan is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous-age Yixian Formation of Beipiao, Liaoning, China. It is based on holotype DNHM D2867, a partial postcranial skeleton including bones from the limbs, shoulder and pelvic girdles, and vertebrae...
- DongyangosaurusDongyangosaurusDongyangosaurus is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur from the early Late Cretaceous of Zhejiang, China. The type species, described by Lu et al. in 2008, is D. sinensis. Like other sauropods, Dongyangosaurus would have been a large quadrupedal herbivore....
- ErketuErketuErketu is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. It was a sauropod with an "extremely long neck". Its fossils were found in Mongolia....
- PhuwiangosaurusPhuwiangosaurusPhuwiangosaurus is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. It was a titanosaur which lived in Thailand. The type species, P. sirindhornae, was described by Martin, Buffetaut, and Suteethorn in 1994, it was named to honour Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on her...
- QiaowanlongQiaowanlongQiaowanlong is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. Fossils belonging to the genus were found in 2007 from the Yujinzi Basin of Gansu, China, and were described in 2009 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The remains come from a geological formation called the Xinminpu Group, dating to the Early...
- Family EuhelopodidaeEuhelopodidaeEuhelopodidae is a family of sauropod dinosaurs which includes the genus Euhelopus. The family name was first proposed by American paleontologist Alfred Sherwood Romer in 1956. The four genera Chiayusaurus, Omeisaurus, Tienshanosaurus, and Euhelopus were the original proposed euhelopodines...
- Node Titanosauria
- Angolatitan
- Baotianmansaurus
- Europasaurus
Phylogeny
The cladogramCladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...
below follows José Luis Barco Rodríguez (2010).
The cladogram below follows José L. Carballido, Oliver W. M. Rauhut, Diego Pol and Leonardo Salgado (2011).