KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Kaijutitan maui is a basal titanosaur from the Sierra Barrosa Formation (Coniacian, Upper Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Patagonia Argentina. The Neuquén Basin in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, holds the most important record of Cretaceous dinosaurs from South America. This work constitutes the fi...

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Main Authors: Leonardo Sebastián Filippi, Elena Previtera, Alberto Carlos Garrido
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asociación Paleontológica Argentina 2024-04-01
Series:Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/481
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author Leonardo Sebastián Filippi
Elena Previtera
Alberto Carlos Garrido
author_facet Leonardo Sebastián Filippi
Elena Previtera
Alberto Carlos Garrido
author_sort Leonardo Sebastián Filippi
collection DOAJ
description Kaijutitan maui is a basal titanosaur from the Sierra Barrosa Formation (Coniacian, Upper Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Patagonia Argentina. The Neuquén Basin in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, holds the most important record of Cretaceous dinosaurs from South America. This work constitutes the first case of taphonomic and histological study of a dinosaur from the Rincón de los Sauces area. Kaijutitan is represented by cranial and postcranial materials of an adult individual of huge body size, preserved in clay sediments related to a floodplain environment. Bones were found disarticulated but associated, largely respecting their relative anatomical position. histological and diagenetic features of bones were analyzed in order to interpret the alteration degree of bone microstructure. Biostratinomic processes inferred are subaerial biodegradation, disarticulation, preburial weathering (cracking and flacking), and abrasion. Fossil-diagenetic processes comprise compaction, deformation, permineralization, and fracturing. Permineralization stages included infilling of bone cavities and fractures with sediments, iron oxides, calcite, or an iron oxide-calcite association during the burial history. Some characteristics suggest that the Kaijutitan specimen suffered weathering for a certain period of time before final burial and that biological activity in the carcass acted as a dispersal agent for the bones within the paleontological site.
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spelling doaj.art-80ea633e6d264b49a0fa50feba505ad12024-04-18T11:07:53ZengAsociación Paleontológica ArgentinaPublicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina2469-02282024-04-0124110.5710/PEAPA/26.02.2024.481KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONSLeonardo Sebastián Filippi0Elena Previtera1Alberto Carlos Garrido2CONICET - Museo Municipal "Argentino Urquiza"CONICET - Inst. Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA, CONICET-UNCuyo)Museo Provincial de Cs. Nat. "Prof. Dr. Juan A. Olsacher"|Dpto. Geología y Petróleo, Facultad de Ingeniería (UNCo) Kaijutitan maui is a basal titanosaur from the Sierra Barrosa Formation (Coniacian, Upper Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Patagonia Argentina. The Neuquén Basin in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, holds the most important record of Cretaceous dinosaurs from South America. This work constitutes the first case of taphonomic and histological study of a dinosaur from the Rincón de los Sauces area. Kaijutitan is represented by cranial and postcranial materials of an adult individual of huge body size, preserved in clay sediments related to a floodplain environment. Bones were found disarticulated but associated, largely respecting their relative anatomical position. histological and diagenetic features of bones were analyzed in order to interpret the alteration degree of bone microstructure. Biostratinomic processes inferred are subaerial biodegradation, disarticulation, preburial weathering (cracking and flacking), and abrasion. Fossil-diagenetic processes comprise compaction, deformation, permineralization, and fracturing. Permineralization stages included infilling of bone cavities and fractures with sediments, iron oxides, calcite, or an iron oxide-calcite association during the burial history. Some characteristics suggest that the Kaijutitan specimen suffered weathering for a certain period of time before final burial and that biological activity in the carcass acted as a dispersal agent for the bones within the paleontological site. https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/481TaphonomyPaleohistologyTitanosaurConiacianNeuquén GroupSierra Barrosa Formation
spellingShingle Leonardo Sebastián Filippi
Elena Previtera
Alberto Carlos Garrido
KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
Taphonomy
Paleohistology
Titanosaur
Coniacian
Neuquén Group
Sierra Barrosa Formation
title KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
title_full KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
title_fullStr KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
title_full_unstemmed KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
title_short KAIJUTITAN MAUI, A SAUROPOD TITANOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS (SIERRA BARROSA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN) OF NORTHERN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA: HISTOLOGICAL AND TAPHONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
title_sort kaijutitan maui a sauropod titanosaur from the upper cretaceous sierra barrosa formation neuquen basin of northern patagonia argentina histological and taphonomic considerations
topic Taphonomy
Paleohistology
Titanosaur
Coniacian
Neuquén Group
Sierra Barrosa Formation
url https://peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/481
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