Drusilasaura

• Santa Cruz, Argentina ( Bajo- Barreal Formation)

• Drusilasaura deseadensis

Drusilasaura is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the group of Titanosauria that lived during the Early Cretaceous in South America. So far, a single, very fragmentary skeleton is only known that originates from the Bajo- Barreal Formation in Argentina. The remains include only four vertebrae, one sacral vertebrae, a shoulder blade and fragments of ribs with a. Drusilasaura was first described in 2011 deseadensis with the only kind Drusilasaura scientifically.

Features

Like all sauropods, there was a large, four-legged herbivores, whose habit was characterized by a barrel-shaped body with columnar legs and a long neck and tail. Drusilasaura was a comparatively large representatives of Titanosauria.

Like all sauropods, the vertebrae with internal cavities and external cavities are cut, the reduced weight. Individual external cavities were separated by thin lamellar bone combs - so-called laminae. The anatomy of these laminae in sauropods is highly variable and is often used to separate different species and genera. Drusilasaura can be distinguished by a unique combination of features of other genera, most of which can be found in the laminae of the dorsal and caudal vertebrae: So two robust Spinodiapophyseal laminae are present, for example at the anterior dorsal vertebrae - lamina, which ran from the transverse process to spinous process; between these two laminae there was an elongated and deep cavity. In addition, the anterior dorsal vertebrae show a Circumneural laminae that around the back ( posterior ) was circular output of the intervertebral foramen.

System

Drusilasaura is a representative of Titanosauria, the dominant Sauropodengruppe during the Cretaceous period. The internal classification of this group is highly controversial. In the first description of Drusilasaura give Cesar Navarrete and colleagues indicates that this species may possibly be counted among the Lognkosauria, a group within the Titanosauria, which is also the genera Mendozasaurus and Futalognkosaurus be assigned. This group of original Titanosauria was proposed by researchers to Jorge Calvo (2007).

Fund and naming

The only Fund ( holotype, specimen numbers MPM - PV 2097 /1 and 2097/19 ) comes from the top Subformation the Bajo Barreal - formation from the farm María Aike in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. He was described in 2011 by researchers at Cesar Navarrete first time scientifically. The name honors Drusila Ortiz de Zárate Drusilasaura of the family farm owners, which helped with the excavation work. The second part of the species name, deseadensis, has the Río Deseado, in the valley of the fossils were found.