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The last of the dinosaur titans: a new sauropod from Madagascar

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  • Kristina Curry Rogers

    (Health Sciences Center, State University of New York
    Science Museum of Minnesota
    Macalester College)

  • Catherine A. Forster

    (Health Sciences Center, State University of New York)

Abstract

The Titanosauria, the last surviving group of the giant sauropod dinosaurs, attained a near-global distribution by the close of the Cretaceous period (65 Myr ago). With the exception of a few new discoveries in Argentina1,2,3, most titanosaurs are known only from fragmentary postcranial skeletons and rare, isolated skull elements4,5,6,7,8,9. Here we describe the most complete titanosaur yet discovered. Rapetosaurus krausei gen. et sp. nov., from the Maevarano Formation of Madagascar, provides a view of titanosaur anatomy from head to tail. A total-evidence phylogenetic analysis supports a close relationship between brachiosaurids and titanosaurs (Titanosauriformes10,11,12,13). The inclusion of cranial data from Rapetosaurus also lays to rest questions concerning the phylogeny of the enigmatic Mongolian genera Nemegtosaurus and Quaesitosaurus14,15. In spite of their elongated, diplodocoid-like skulls, all three taxa are now firmly nested within Titanosauria.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristina Curry Rogers & Catherine A. Forster, 2001. "The last of the dinosaur titans: a new sauropod from Madagascar," Nature, Nature, vol. 412(6846), pages 530-534, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:412:y:2001:i:6846:d:10.1038_35087566
    DOI: 10.1038/35087566
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