Large new titanosaurian dinosaur from the Pyrenees
The skeleton of Abditosaurus kuehnei is the most complete titanosaur
fossil discovered so far in Europe

Date:
February 7, 2022
Source:
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Summary:
Researchers have described the new species of titanosaur dinosaur
Abditosaurus kuehnei from the remains excavated at the Orcau-1 site,
in the southern Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain). The semiarticulated
70.5- million-year-old skeleton is the most complete specimen of
this herbivorous group of dinosaurs discovered so far in Europe.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers from the Institut Catala` de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont
(ICP), the Conca Della` Museum (MCD), the Universitat Auto`noma de
Barcelona (UAB), the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR) and the NOVA
University of Lisbon (UNL) have described the new species of titanosaur dinosaur Abditosaurus kuehneifrom the remains excavated at the Orcau-1
site, in the southern Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain). The semiarticulated 70.5-million-year-old skeleton is the most complete specimen of this herbivorous group of dinosaurs discovered so far in Europe.

Moreover, Abditosaurus is the largest titanosaur species found in the
Ibero- Armorican island -- an ancient region nowadays comprising Iberia
and the south of France -- representing a senescent individual estimated
to be 17,5 meters in length with body mass of 14,000 kg.


==========================================================================
The size of this giant is one of the most surprising facts to researchers.

"Titanosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe tend to be small or
medium- sized due to their evolution in insular conditions," explained
Bernat Vila, paleontologist at the ICP leading the research. During the
Upper Cretaceous (between 83 and 66 million years ago), Europe was a large archipelago made up of dozens of islands. The species that evolved there
tend to be relatively small, or even dwarves compared to their relatives
living in large landmasses, due primarily to the limitation of food
resources in islands. "It is a recurring phenomenon in the history of
life on Earth, we have several examples worldwide in the fossil record
of this evolutionary trend. That's why we were astonished by the large dimensions of this specimen," said Vila.

The fieldwork conducted over several decades unearthed 53 skeletal
elements of the specimen. These include several teeth, vertebrae, ribs,
and limb, scapular and pelvic bones, as well as a semiarticulated fragment
of the neck formed by 12 cervical vertebrae. "We were really lucky, it
is unusual to find such complete specimens in the Pyrenees due to its
troubled geologic history," explains A`ngel Galobart, ICP researcher
and director of the Conca Della` Museum (Isona, Catalonia).

The excavation of the neck in 2014 was a technical challenge. Once
prepared for extraction, the neck was encased in a large block of
polyurethane foam, becoming one of the largest jackets ever excavated
in Europe.

The history of the research that has led to the description of the new
species dates back to 1954, when German paleontologist Walter Ku"hne
collected the first remains and sent them to Madrid. The site fell into oblivion until 1986, when some more remains began to be extracted until
a great storm forced the cancellation of the excavation. Subsequently, fieldwork on the site fell again into oblivion until a paleontologist
from the ICP resumed systematic excavations in Orcau-1. The story of this finding was featured in the 2017 documentary "Europe's last giant." The
generic name Abditosaurus means 'forgotten reptile' and the specific
epithet kuehneiis a tribute to its discoverer.

A migrating dinosaur In their article published in Nature Ecology &
Evolution, researchers conclude that Abditosaurusbelongs to a group of saltasaurine titanosaurs from South America and Africa, different from
the rest of European titanosaurs that are characterized by a smaller
size. These authors hypothesize that the Abditosaurus lineage reached
the Ibero-Armorican island taking advantage of a global drop in sea
level that reactivated ancient migration routes between Africa and Europe.



========================================================================== "Other evidence support the migration hypothesis," explains Albert
Selle's, paleontologist at the ICP and co-author of the article. "In
the same site we have found eggshells of dinosaur species known to
have inhabited Gondwana, the southernmost continent." The new finding
is a major advance in the understanding of the evolution of sauropod
dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous and brings a new perspective to
the phylogenetic and paleobiogeographic puzzle of sauropods in the last
15 million years before their extinction.

In addition to Vila, Selle's and Galobart, Novella Razzolini (Institut
Catala` de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont and Conca Della` Museum),
Miguel Moreno (Museu de Lurinha~ and NOVA University of Lisbon), In~aki
Canudo (Aragosaurus- IUCA Group, University of Zaragoza) and Alejandro
Gil (Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona) participated in this study.

"During the Jurassic and Cretaceous, Iberia was the point of connection
between Eurasia, Africa and North America. Studying how Abditosaurus
relates to the fauna of these continents helps us to understand when
there were connections between them, and when they became isolated," says Miguel Moreno, researcher at the Museu de Lurinha~ and NOVA University
of Lisbon that has performed the paleobiogeographic study.

The large Cretaceous herbivores Titanosaurs are a group of sauropod
dinosaurs that become very diverse and abundant in the terrestrial
ecosystems of the Cretaceous. All of them were quadrupeds and
phytophagous. Titanosaurs had a small and pointed skull, with small
nail-shaped teeth used to uproot vegetation. Their body was robust, with forelimbs shorter than the hindlimbs and a long necks and tails. Some
species sported a skin covered with bony plates named osteoderms that
may have served as a protective shield or as a reserve of calcium.

The paleontological sites within the Catalan Pyrenees have provided
exceptional dinosaur fossils over the last century. Research is especially significant as its fossil record includes the last vertebrate faunas,
including non-avian dinosaurs, that lived in Europe right before the
global extinction event that took place 66 million years ago.

On the ICP: The Institut Catala` de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont
(ICP) is a CERCA center (Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Generalitat
de Catalunya) ascribed to to the Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona
(UAB) and devoted to research in vertebrate and human paleontology
at the highest international level, as well as the conservation and dissemination of the Catalan paleontological heritage. It is constituted
as a public foundation with a board of trustees made up of the Government
of Catalonia and the UAB.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Universitat_Autonoma_de_Barcelona. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Fossils_and_artist's_impression_of_Abditosaurus_kuehnei ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Bernat Vila, Albert Selle's, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Novella
L. Razzolini,
Alejandro Gil-Delgado, Jose' Ignacio Canudo, A`ngel Galobart. A
titanosaurian sauropod with Gondwanan affinities in the latest
Cretaceous of Europe. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2022; DOI:
10.1038/s41559-021- 01651-5 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220207124822.htm

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