A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features
Rebbachisauridae is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs whose maximum diversification and abundance are known from the Cretaceous of South America. We describe an anterior caudal vertebra, MDPA-Pv 007, from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia, whose characters allow it to be referred to this cla...
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| Language: | English |
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Institute of Paleobiology PAS
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
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| Online Access: | https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app69/app011042023.pdf |
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| author | GUILLERMO J. WINDHOLZ JUAN D. PORFIRI DOMENICA DOS SANTOS FLAVIO BELLARDINI MATHEW J. WEDEL |
| author_facet | GUILLERMO J. WINDHOLZ JUAN D. PORFIRI DOMENICA DOS SANTOS FLAVIO BELLARDINI MATHEW J. WEDEL |
| author_sort | GUILLERMO J. WINDHOLZ |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rebbachisauridae is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs whose maximum diversification and abundance are known from the
Cretaceous of South America. We describe an anterior caudal vertebra, MDPA-Pv 007, from the Upper Cretaceous of
Argentine Patagonia, whose characters allow it to be referred to this clade. Also, two phylogenetic analyses reinforce the
referral of the new material more exclusively to Rebbachisaurinae. We analyze pneumatic structures using the first CT
scans of a caudal element of a rebbachisaurid. The excellent preservation of MDPA-Pv 007, combined with CT images,
allows us to document external fossae and foramina that connect to larger internal chambers, constituting unambiguous
evidence of pneumaticity. The centrum of MDPA-Pv 007 is camerate, with large interconnected internal chambers; this is
accompanied by a neural arch with wide and deep fossae. Caudal pneumaticity has a complex phylogenetic distribution
among neosauropods. This feature may have evolved independently in diplodocoids and titanosauriforms, or it could
be ancestral for Neosauropoda but secondarily lost in a few lineages. Future investigations, taking advantage of new
technologies, will provide insights into the phylogenetic distribution and paleobiological implications of pneumaticity
in sauropod dinosaurs and other fossil archosaurs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T06:58:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb278543de6741fba2ac36943754bac0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1732-2421 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T06:58:05Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Paleobiology PAS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb278543de6741fba2ac36943754bac02024-04-22T10:23:25ZengInstitute of Paleobiology PASActa Palaeontologica Polonica1732-24212024-03-01691394710.4202/app.01104.2023A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic featuresGUILLERMO J. WINDHOLZ0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0693-0501JUAN D. PORFIRI1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4897-3111DOMENICA DOS SANTOS2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7396-0334FLAVIO BELLARDINI3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2882-0874MATHEW J. WEDEL4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9122-1818Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; IIPG, UNRN, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Museo Carlos Ameghino, Belgrano 1700, Paraje Pichi Ruca (predio Marabunta), Cipolletti, Río Negro, 8300, Argentina.Museo del Desierto Patagónico, Calle 6 S/N, Añelo, Neuquén, 8305, Argentina; Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén, 8300, Argentina; Catedra de Reptiles Mesozoicos, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén, 8300, Argentina.Museo del Desierto Patagónico, Calle 6 S/N, Añelo, Neuquén, 8305, Argentina; Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén, 8300, Argentina; Catedra de Reptiles Mesozoicos, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén, 8300, Argentina.Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Río Negro, Argentina; IIPG, UNRN, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Av. Roca 1242, (R8332EXZ) General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina; Museo Carlos Ameghino, Belgrano 1700, Paraje Pichi Ruca (predio Marabunta), Cipolletti, Río Negro, 8300, Argentina.College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and College of Podiatric Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, 91711, USA.Rebbachisauridae is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs whose maximum diversification and abundance are known from the Cretaceous of South America. We describe an anterior caudal vertebra, MDPA-Pv 007, from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia, whose characters allow it to be referred to this clade. Also, two phylogenetic analyses reinforce the referral of the new material more exclusively to Rebbachisaurinae. We analyze pneumatic structures using the first CT scans of a caudal element of a rebbachisaurid. The excellent preservation of MDPA-Pv 007, combined with CT images, allows us to document external fossae and foramina that connect to larger internal chambers, constituting unambiguous evidence of pneumaticity. The centrum of MDPA-Pv 007 is camerate, with large interconnected internal chambers; this is accompanied by a neural arch with wide and deep fossae. Caudal pneumaticity has a complex phylogenetic distribution among neosauropods. This feature may have evolved independently in diplodocoids and titanosauriforms, or it could be ancestral for Neosauropoda but secondarily lost in a few lineages. Future investigations, taking advantage of new technologies, will provide insights into the phylogenetic distribution and paleobiological implications of pneumaticity in sauropod dinosaurs and other fossil archosaurs.https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app69/app011042023.pdfdinosauriasauropodadiplodocoidearebbachisauridaepneumaticitycretaceousneuquén basinargentina |
| spellingShingle | GUILLERMO J. WINDHOLZ JUAN D. PORFIRI DOMENICA DOS SANTOS FLAVIO BELLARDINI MATHEW J. WEDEL A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features Acta Palaeontologica Polonica dinosauria sauropoda diplodocoidea rebbachisauridae pneumaticity cretaceous neuquén basin argentina |
| title | A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| title_full | A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| title_fullStr | A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| title_full_unstemmed | A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| title_short | A well-preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| title_sort | well preserved vertebra provides new insights into rebbachisaurid sauropod caudal anatomical and pneumatic features |
| topic | dinosauria sauropoda diplodocoidea rebbachisauridae pneumaticity cretaceous neuquén basin argentina |
| url | https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app69/app011042023.pdf |
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