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Titanosaur caudals with pathologies from Upper Cretaceous of Brazil
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Ben Creisler
Jan 9, 2025, 9:19:53 PMJan 9
to DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com
Ben Creisler
A new paper:
Letícia Lacerda, Kamila L.N. Bandeira, Bruno A. Navarro, Maria L.P. Bertolossi, Valéria Gallo, Rafael C. da Silva, Diogenes de A. Campos & Alexander W.A. Kellner (2025)
New lithostrotian specimens (Neosauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Mato Grosso State (Western Brazil) and comments about tail injuries in sauropod dinosaurs
Journal of South American Earth Sciences 105336
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2024.105336
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0895981124005583
Highlights
The study presents newly identified lithostrotian titanosaur specimens from the Upper Cretaceous Cambambe Basin, including four incomplete caudal vertebrae and fragments of appendicular bones, representing two distinct morphotypes.
Two caudal vertebrae exhibit rare paleopathological features, including subchondral cysts—only the third such case reported for titanosaurs—providing insights into the prevalence and nature of sauropod tail injuries.
Morphotype 1 displays a potential autapomorphy—a cotylar bulge and associated notch in the caudal vertebrae—indicating unique evolutionary traits among the studied specimens.
The findings emphasize the underexplored paleontological potential of Mato Grosso State, contributing to the understanding of titanosaur diversity in Brazil’s Cretaceous strata.
The combination of primitive and advanced features in the specimens enhances understanding of titanosaur evolution, particularly in their caudal morphology and possible adaptations related to biomechanics and pathology.
Abstract
Titanosaurs were a highly diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, with hundreds of bones known from Brazil, mostly found isolated. The majority of them come from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Basin, in southeastern Brazil. However, even though the Mato Grosso State (Midwest Brazil) provides the first historical findings of titanosaurs reported in the country, most of the recorded specimens remain undescribed. Here, we present newly titanosaur specimens collected in the 1950s in the Upper Cretaceous Cambambe Basin, near the Pedra Grande Creek, Chapada dos Guimarães municipality. The specimens are housed at the Museu de Ciências da Terra (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and comprise four incomplete caudal vertebrae and two portions of appendicular bones, including a probable fragmentary left ilium, which cannot be assigned to the same individual. Comparisons with more complete taxa allow us to identify this material as representative of two distinct morphotypes, both exhibiting a combination of primitive and derived morphological features. Additionally, the two caudal elements of Morphotype 1 present some pathological features, such as subchondral cysts, being the third case of this paleopathology reported in titanosaurians. Despite being fragmentary and lacking diagnostic features at a genus level, these new specimens demonstrate that Mato Grosso State holds great potential for the discovery of more material that can contribute to titanosaurian paleobiology.
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Letícia Lacerda, Kamila L.N. Bandeira, Bruno A. Navarro, Maria L.P. Bertolossi, Valéria Gallo, Rafael C. da Silva, Diogenes de A. Campos & Alexander W.A. Kellner (2025)
New lithostrotian specimens (Neosauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Mato Grosso State (Western Brazil) and comments about tail injuries in sauropod dinosaurs
Journal of South American Earth Sciences 105336
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2024.105336
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0895981124005583
Highlights
The study presents newly identified lithostrotian titanosaur specimens from the Upper Cretaceous Cambambe Basin, including four incomplete caudal vertebrae and fragments of appendicular bones, representing two distinct morphotypes.
Two caudal vertebrae exhibit rare paleopathological features, including subchondral cysts—only the third such case reported for titanosaurs—providing insights into the prevalence and nature of sauropod tail injuries.
Morphotype 1 displays a potential autapomorphy—a cotylar bulge and associated notch in the caudal vertebrae—indicating unique evolutionary traits among the studied specimens.
The findings emphasize the underexplored paleontological potential of Mato Grosso State, contributing to the understanding of titanosaur diversity in Brazil’s Cretaceous strata.
The combination of primitive and advanced features in the specimens enhances understanding of titanosaur evolution, particularly in their caudal morphology and possible adaptations related to biomechanics and pathology.
Abstract
Titanosaurs were a highly diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, with hundreds of bones known from Brazil, mostly found isolated. The majority of them come from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Basin, in southeastern Brazil. However, even though the Mato Grosso State (Midwest Brazil) provides the first historical findings of titanosaurs reported in the country, most of the recorded specimens remain undescribed. Here, we present newly titanosaur specimens collected in the 1950s in the Upper Cretaceous Cambambe Basin, near the Pedra Grande Creek, Chapada dos Guimarães municipality. The specimens are housed at the Museu de Ciências da Terra (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and comprise four incomplete caudal vertebrae and two portions of appendicular bones, including a probable fragmentary left ilium, which cannot be assigned to the same individual. Comparisons with more complete taxa allow us to identify this material as representative of two distinct morphotypes, both exhibiting a combination of primitive and derived morphological features. Additionally, the two caudal elements of Morphotype 1 present some pathological features, such as subchondral cysts, being the third case of this paleopathology reported in titanosaurians. Despite being fragmentary and lacking diagnostic features at a genus level, these new specimens demonstrate that Mato Grosso State holds great potential for the discovery of more material that can contribute to titanosaurian paleobiology.
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