Tendaguria
Encyclopedia
Tendaguria is a genus
of sauropod dinosaur
from the Late Jurassic
of Tanzania
.
It was a large sauropod from the Tendaguru fossil locality in Tanzania
; based on two anterior dorsal vertebrae (Holotype: MB.R.2092.1 (NB4) and MB.R.2092.2 (NB5) (Museum fuer Naturkunde, Berlin)) from Nambango, 15 kilometers (9 mi) southeast of Tendaguru Hill, Tanzania, probably in the Upper Saurian Bed, Tendaguru Series
, Late Jurassic
(Tithonian
). The vertebrae are opisthocoelous (hollow behind) and differ from other known sauropods in their very low, almost nonexistent neural spines, which are not distinct bodies of bone, do not rise above the surrounding area of the neural arch and are continuous with transverse processes.
Tendaguria is a highly derived sauropod; the axial musculature probably shifted to the dorsal surface of the transverse processes; its relationship to other sauropods is not clear but a cervical vertebra attributed to Tendaguria shows some similarities to Camarasaurus
. It is estimated at about 20 meters (66 ft) long. It was discovered by Bonaparte, Heinrich & Wild in 2000. The type species
is Tendaguria tanzaniensis (/tænˈzeɪniːˈɛnsɨs/ tan-ZAY-nee-EN-sis) Bonaparte, Heinrich & Wild 2000 "after Tanzania, the country where the holotype was collected".
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 Late 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...
of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
It was a large sauropod from the Tendaguru fossil locality in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
; based on two anterior dorsal vertebrae (Holotype: MB.R.2092.1 (NB4) and MB.R.2092.2 (NB5) (Museum fuer Naturkunde, Berlin)) from Nambango, 15 kilometers (9 mi) southeast of Tendaguru Hill, Tanzania, probably in the Upper Saurian Bed, Tendaguru Series
Tendaguru
The Tendaguru Beds are a fossil-rich formation in Tanzania. It has been considered the richest of Late Jurassic strata in Africa. Continental reconstructions show Tendaguru to have been in the southern hemisphere during the Late Jurassic. Tendaguru is similar to the Morrison Formation except in...
, Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
(Tithonian
Tithonian
In the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
). The vertebrae are opisthocoelous (hollow behind) and differ from other known sauropods in their very low, almost nonexistent neural spines, which are not distinct bodies of bone, do not rise above the surrounding area of the neural arch and are continuous with transverse processes.
Tendaguria is a highly derived sauropod; the axial musculature probably shifted to the dorsal surface of the transverse processes; its relationship to other sauropods is not clear but a cervical vertebra attributed to Tendaguria shows some similarities to Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus meaning 'chambered lizard', referring to the hollow chambers in its vertebrae was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. It was the most common of the giant sauropods to be found in North America...
. It is estimated at about 20 meters (66 ft) long. It was discovered by Bonaparte, Heinrich & Wild in 2000. 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...
is Tendaguria tanzaniensis (/tænˈzeɪniːˈɛnsɨs/ tan-ZAY-nee-EN-sis) Bonaparte, Heinrich & Wild 2000 "after Tanzania, the country where the holotype was collected".