Tangvayosaurus
Encyclopedia
Tangvayosaurus is a genus
of sauropod dinosaur
from the Aptian
-Albian
age Lower Cretaceous Grès Supérior Formation of Savannakhet
, Laos
. It was a basal titanosaur
, and is known from the remains of two or three individuals.
It is based on
TV4-1 to TV4-36, consisting of a partial pelvis
, several back vertebrae and a tail vertebra, ribs, and an upper arm bone (humerus
). Another skeleton includes 38 tail vertebrae, a neck vertebra, and most of a hind limb. The type species
, Tangvayosaurus hoffeti, was described by a group of a dozen scientists led by Ronan Allain in 1999. Allain et al. also referred the old species "Titanosaurus
" falloti, from the same formation and based on partial thigh bones
and tail vertebrae, to their genus as T. sp. The most recent review tentatively retains the genus because it is different from the only other established sauropod from the same approximate time and area (Phuwiangosaurus
), but disagree with adding T. falloti to it.
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 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...
age Lower Cretaceous Grès Supérior Formation of Savannakhet
Savannakhet
Savannakhet or Kaysone Phomvihane is a city in western Laos and the capital of the Savannakhet Province, previously known as Khanthabouli . This is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The city is birthtown of Kaysone Phomvihane, former president of Laos, and was named after him in...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. It was a basal 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...
, and is known from the remains of two or three individuals.
It is based on
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...
TV4-1 to TV4-36, consisting of a partial pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
, several back vertebrae and a tail vertebra, ribs, and an upper arm bone (humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
). Another skeleton includes 38 tail vertebrae, a neck vertebra, and most of a hind limb. 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...
, Tangvayosaurus hoffeti, was described by a group of a dozen scientists led by Ronan Allain in 1999. Allain et al. also referred the old species "Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, first described by Lydekker in 1877. It is known from the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation of India...
" falloti, from the same formation and based on partial thigh bones
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
and tail vertebrae, to their genus as T. sp. The most recent review tentatively retains the genus because it is different from the only other established sauropod from the same approximate time and area (Phuwiangosaurus
Phuwiangosaurus
Phuwiangosaurus 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...
), but disagree with adding T. falloti to it.
External links
- Tangvayosaurus in Thescelosaurus! (scroll to Titanosauria)