Gobititan

• China, Gansu ( Mazongshan area)

• Gobititan shenzhouensis

Gobititan is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the group of Titanosauria that during the Lower Cretaceous ( Albian ) lived in China today.

So far, a single Fund is only known, which consists of the continuous series of 41 middle and posterior caudal vertebrae and the left hind leg. The finding comes from the well-known for its fossils wealth Mazongshan area in northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. Gobititan is considered a basal (original ) Representatives of Titanosauria. Gobititan was described in 2003 with the single species Gobititan shenzhouensis scientifically.

Gobititan is the third very basal representatives of Titanosauria, which was described from Asia - the descriptor interpret this as evidence that the origin of the group Titanosauria in Asia could be.

Features

Gobititan can be distinguished from other titanosaurs basis of features of the caudal vertebrae. So were the proximal ( located on the front) ( lying on the back ) articular surfaces of the middle caudal vertebrae higher than the distal. The vertebral arches were placed on the front of the posterior caudal vertebrae relatively far behind. The posterior caudal vertebrae were relatively short. Compared with advanced Titanosauria Gobititan had a relatively high number of caudal vertebrae - a basal feature. In advanced Titanosauria the number of caudal vertebrae was reduced to less than 35.

Research History and naming

The only known treasure was recovered in the summer of 1999 from the middle layers of the Xinminbao group. The scientific description of the new genus and species followed in 2003. Gobititan The name has the Gobi region and on the Titans of Greek mythology, which alludes to the large body size. The second part of the species name, shenzhouensis, derived from Shenzhou, an ancient name for China.