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| Soriatitan golmayensis
Royo-Torres, Fuentes, Meijide, Meijide-Fuentes & Meijide-Fuentes, 2017
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Abstract
A new dinosaur sauropod from the Golmayo Formation (upper Hauterivian-lower Barremian) in Soria province (Spain) is described as Soriatitan golmayensis gen. et sp. nov. The new material consists of one tooth, three dorsal vertebrae with ribs, a partial sacrum, five caudal centra, two caudal vertebral spines, one chevron, a humerus, an ulna, a radius, two partial ilia, two ischia, a fragment of pubis, and a partial femur. Cladistic analysis identified the material as belonging to Brachiosaruidae within Titanosauriformes. Sauropod material from the Golmayo Formation shares a diagnostic feature with Abydosaurus, Cedarosaurus, Tastavinsaurus and Venenosaurus including anteriorly deflected anterior–middle caudal neural spines and with Cedarosaurus a proximodistally straight lateral margin between the proximal head and the shaft of the humerus. Eight characters are potential autapomorphies in the sauropod from Spain, including the presence of a large rectangular ventral ridge below the preacetabular process of the ilium, the same length of the pubic and ischiadic blades in the ischium, and two lateral ridges in the lateral area of the deltopectoral crest of the humerus. The presence of Early Cretaceous brachiosarids in both, North America and Europe, give support to the hypothesis of a connection between the tectonic plates of these continents at some point during the Early Cretaceous.
Keywords: Soriatitan golmayensis; Golmayo Formation; Hauterivian-Barremian; Brachiosauridae; Sauropod; Europe; North America
Systematic palaeontology
Saurischia Seeley, 1887
Sauropoda Marsh, 1878
Neosauropoda Bonaparte, 1986
Titanosauriformes Salgado, Coria & Calvo, 1997
Brachiosauridae Riggs, 1904
Soriatitan gen. nov.
Etymology: From the Spanish province Soria where the dinosaur was found and from the Greek “titan” meaning giant in Greek mythology.
Soriatitan golmayensis sp. nov.
Etymology: In honor of the Golmayo village where the Zorralbo I site is located.
Conclusions:
This study describes a new species of sauropod, Soriatitan golmayensis (MNS 2001/122) from the Golmayo Formation (upper Hauterivian–lower Barremian) located in Zorralbo I site in Golmayo village (Soria, Spain). This sauropod is classified as a Brachiosauridae within Titanosauriformes supported by two different phylogenetic analyses. Soriatitan shares the presence of anteriorly deflected anterior–middle caudal neural spines with Cedarosaurus, Venenosaurus and Tastavinsaurus, and a proximodistally straight lateral margin between the proximal head and the humerus shaft with Cedarosaurus. Eight characters are newly identified and are considered potential diagnostic criteria for the new possible genus and species: the caudal ribs develop a pointed anterior ridge in the middle; posterior caudal vertebra with large postzygapophyses; presence of a lateral fossa in every postzygapophysis in the posterior caudal vertebra; the presence of a rectangular ventral ridge cranial to the pubic process and below the preacetabular process in the ilium; ischiadic peduncle in the ilium three times longer in lateromedially than anteropospestiorly; the same length of the pubic peduncle and distal blade in the ischia; two lateral ridges in the lateral area of the deltopectoral crest; and the presence of the two ridges in the medial projection of the humerus head. At the moment, Soriatitan golmayensis is the first and the only brachiosarid described from the Early Cretaceous of Europe. The presence of the Early Cretaceous brachiosarid sauropods common to North America and Europe support to the presence of a possible bridge between these plates, prior to the late Hauterivian–Barremian.
Rafael Royo-Torres, Carolina Fuentes, Manuel Meijide, Federico Meijide-Fuentes and Manuel Meijide-Fuentes. 2017. A New Brachiosauridae Sauropod Dinosaur from the lower Cretaceous of Europe (Soria Province, Spain). Cretaceous Research. 80; 38–55. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2017.08.012
Soriatitan golmayensis, un nuevo dinosaurio español localizado en Golmayo elmirondesoria.es/provincia/comarca-de-soria/soriatitan-golmayensis-un-nuevo-dinosaurio-espanol-localizado-en-golmayo
Identificado en Soria un nuevo saurópodo de más de 13 metros de longitud: diariosigloxxi.com/texto-ep/mostrar/20170907150739/identificado-soria-nuevo-sauropodo-13-metros-longitud
