Turiasaurus
- Spain, Teruel Province, Riodeva
- Turiasaurus riodevensis
Turiasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur ( Sauropoda ), who has lived at the time of transition from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous in what is now Europe from about 150 to 140 million years ago. The only known species is T. riodevensis.
The total length of Turiasaurus is estimated to be about 30 to 37 meters and its weight to 40 to 48 tons. This makes it the largest dinosaur that was found so far in Europe and also the largest known land animal that has ever lived there. Turiasaurus reached the dimensions of the largest known sauropod from Africa and North America as Brachiosaurus and Seismosaurus.
The name of the genus is derived from Turia, one of traditional village name since the 12th century, from which the modern name of the eastern Spanish province of Teruel emerged, and the Greek sauros ( σαῦρος ) " lizard". The specific epithet refers to the locality riodevensis Riodeva.
Description of the fossil discovery
From the terrestrial deposits of fossil-rich Villar- del- Arzobispo lineup the 3.50 meter long front left leg was recovered, the upper arm bone (humerus ) alone reaches a length of 1.79 meters. This Fund, which is the basis of the holotype ' by both genus and species, is conducted under the catalog numbers CPT -1195 to CPT- 1210 and kept in the Museo de la Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel - Dinóplis in Teruel. Within a radius of 280 square meters, more fossil remains were discovered. In addition to several skull fragments, eight well-preserved teeth, shoulder blade (scapula ), thigh bone ( femur), the lower leg bone shin found (tibia) and fibula ( fibula ) as well as several vertebrae with associated ribs and a series of finger bones.
Systematic position
Due to the completeness of the discovery, it was possible to set up within the sauropods, the new lineage of Turiasauria which belong to the genera besides Turiasaurus Losillasaurus and Galveosaurus. The Turiasauria are an anatomically primitive group of Eusauropoda, but do not belong, like the other large sauropods to the Neosauropoda.
The anatomical authenticity and the completeness of the discovery allowed biomechanical studies that help new insights into the evolution of gigantism to be won on the sauropods.