Phuwiangosaurus

• Thailand

• Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae

Phuwiangosaurus ( "lizard of Phu Wiang " ) was a sauropod dinosaur medium-sized ( Sauropoda ) from the group of Titanosauria that from the Lower Cretaceous ( Hauterivian to Valangium ) from Southeast Asia (Thailand ) comes. To this genus counts only the type species Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae.

Fossil record

Phuwiangosaurus is known from the remains of different individuals - both adult animals and young animals. Among the finds are a Postkranialskelett ( the skeleton without the skull ), numerous isolated skeletal elements, skull fragments and fossil material of young animals ( Martin et al., 1994). Buffetaut (2002 ) described beyond a braincase ( neurocranium ). All findings are from the Sao Khua Formation in northeastern Thailand, there may be a large part of the numerous Sauropodenfossilien be assigned from the Khorat Plateau Phuwiangosaurus. The holotype is from the district ( Amphoe ) in the province of Phu Wiang Khon Kaen, which is eponymous for the species.

Anatomy

The anatomical description and systematic classification of the holotype based on cervical vertebra near the skull and thigh bone (humerus ). The vertebrae are characterized by low, broad neural arches, the upper arm bone is characterized by an approximately equal width of the cross section of the proximal ( proximal ) and distal ( distal ) end. Martin et al. 1994 lead in scientific first description to many other features, but are not exclusive characteristics ( autapomorphies ) for Phuwiangosaurus are, but also occur in other sauropods.

System

Martin et al. 1994 applies Phuwiangosaurus as enigmatic sauropod, which is not easy to assign a systematic large groups. He was asked by the authors to the Titanosauria, but later suggested it based on a small jaw fragments and teeth as an early representative of the 1995 drawn up by Upchurch taxon Nemegtosauridae classify ( Martin et al., 1999 ). Upchurch (1998) sees in Phuwiangosaurus an original Titanosauriformen, who was probably more closely related to the Titanosauria than with the Brachiosauridae. In 2002, Buffetaut described a skull and ordered him to Phuwiangosaurus. This finding points to a close relationship with Nemegtosaurus why Wilson ( 2005) the assignment to the Nemegtosauridae confirmed. However, still there are no phylogenetic analyzes that involve the new Fund. ).