Tangvayosaurus

• Laos ( Savannakhet )

• Tangvayosaurus hoffeti

Tangvayosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur from the group of Titanosauria, in the early Cretaceous ( Aptian or Albian ) lived in what is now Laos.

This genus is known from two partial skeletons that come from the rock strata of Grès - supérieurs lineup from the province of Savannakhet. Tangvayosaurus is estimated to be about 15 feet in length. The animal is named after the type locality Tang Vay in Laos, the locality of the holotype.

Characteristics and validity

The validity of Tangvayosaurus is still controversial, since all of the listed Erstbeschreibern ( Allain et al. ) Genre-specific features ( autapomorphies ) were also present in other sauropods, particularly in other titanosaurs. Thus there is no unique selling point that would justify a separate genus - the genus is recognized but usually because it differs significantly from Phuwiangosaurus, the only other Titanosaurier the Early Cretaceous of Southeast Asia. So far, the relationships of Tangvayosaurus were not investigated in detail, but the animal is mostly performed as a primitive Titanosaurier because it is caused by certain anatomical features such as a short, wide ischium characterizes a lack of procoelous ( concave on the front) and caudal vertebrae.

So far, only the type Tangvayosaurus hoffeti known. Although described Allain et al. another type based on a complete and three incomplete femur (thigh bone ) from Muong Phalane falloti as Tangvayosaurus, but this assignment is questioned because the femurs have no unique features ( autapomorphies ), so do not be diagnosed. The femurs were previously attributed to the Titanosaurus ( Titanosaurus as falloti ).

Finds

The skeletal remains were partially anatomical composite and come from the two localities Tang Vay Vay Tang 2 and 4, today, the fossils at the Museum of Dinosaures in Savannakhet be kept under the inventory numbers TV4 - 1 to TV4 -36. The sedimentary rocks, from which the bones are reddish siltstones and mudstones, from fluvial deposits ( alluvial deposits ) originate.

In Tang Vay 2 38 caudal vertebrae, a cervical vertebrae, chevrons, a metacarpal bone and various elements of the hind legs were found, including the distal end of the femur, the tibia ( shinbone), the fibula ( fibula ), the astragalus ( ankle bone ), three metatarsals and nine toe bones. From Tang Vay 4 of complete right femur, pelvic bones (both pubis and both Ischia ), vertebrae (the first caudal vertebrae, anterior dorsal vertebrae ), ribs, and the lower end of the humerus comes ( upper arm bone).