- Maxakalisaurus
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Maxakalisaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Reconstructed skeleton Scientific classification 
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: †Sauropodomorpha Infraorder: †Sauropoda Branch: †Titanosauria Family: †Aeolosauridae Genus: †Maxakalisaurus
Kellner et al., 2006Species: †M. topai Binomial name Maxakalisaurus topai
Kellner et al., 2006Maxakalisaurus is a genus of aeolosaurid dinosaur, found in Brazil, 45 kilometers (28 mi) from the city of Prata, in the state of Minas Gerais in 1998. It was related to Saltasaurus, a sauropod considered unusual because it had evolved apparently defensive traits, including bony plates on its skin and vertical plates along its spine; such osteoderms have also been found for Maxakalisaurus.
Side view of skeleton
The genus name is derived from the tribe of the Maxakali; Topa is one of their divinities.
The Maxakalisaurus fossils belonged to an animal about 13 meters (43.3 ft) long, with an estimated weight of 9 tons, although, according to paleontologist Alexander Kellner, it could reach a length of approximately 20 meters (65 ft). It had a long neck and tail, ridged teeth (unusual among sauropods) and lived about 80 million years ago. Because sauropods seem to have lacked significant competition in South America, they evolved there with greater diversity and more unusual traits than elsewhere in the world.
"This is the biggest dinosaur yet described in Brazil," said Alexander Kellner, lead author of the scientific description. "We have found the bones of what appear to be larger dinosaurs, but we still haven't been able to put them together for scientific descriptions."[1]
References
- ^ Astor, Michael (2006-08-29). "Brazil's Biggest Dinosaur Unveiled". LiveScience. http://www.livescience.com/animals/060829_ap_brazil_dinosaur.html. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- Kellner, A.W.A., Campos, D.A., Azevedo, S.A.K., Trotta, M.N.F., Henriques, D.D.R., Craik, M.M.T., and Silva, H.P. (2006). "On a new titanosaur sauropod from the Bauru Group, Late Cretaceous of Brazil." Boletim do Museu Nacional (Geologia), 74: 1-31.
- Santucci, R. M. & Bertini, R.J. (2006). "A large sauropod titanosaur from Peirópolis, Bauru Group, Brazil." N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., 2006: 344-360; Stuttgart.
External links
- Brazil's Biggest Dinosaur Unveiled - LiveScience.com
Categories:- Cretaceous dinosaurs
- Dinosaurs of South America
- Fossil taxa described in 2006
- Titanosaurs
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