Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Maxakalisaurus topai

This titanosaur was closely related to the Argentinian Saltasaurus and its body was protected with osteoderms. This is the largest known dinosaur of Brazil.

Name
Maxakalisaurus topai
Authority
Kellner, Campos, Azevedo, Trotta, henriques, Craik and Silva, 2006
Meaning of generic name
The generic name is formed by Maxakali, from one of the Macro-jê stock language, honoring the Maxakali ethnic group that is present in the Minas Gerais State where this dinosaur was found, and saurus, which is the Greek word for lizard.
Meaning of specific name
From Topa, one of the Maxacali deities.

[Idolatrous, should have been Topae rather than Topai]
Size
Body length: 13 m ; Skull length: [not given]
Remains
Holotype (MN 5013-V): Partial skeleton composed of an incomplete right maxilla (with teeth), the remains of 12 cervical vertebrae (including several cervical ribs), part of seven dorsals (and ribs), one sacral neural spine, one sacral centrum, six caudals, several hemal arches, part of both scapulae, both sternal plates, the distal portion of a left ischium, both humeri, the second and forth right metacarpals, incomplete fibula, one osteoderm, and several unidentified bones.
Age and Distribution
Horizon: Adamantina Formation. Bauru Group. Upper Cretaceous (Turonian-Santonian)

Locality: Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Classification
Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Sauropoda Macronaria Titanosauriformes Titanosauria Titanosauridae Saltasaurinae
Further Reading
A. W. A. Kellner, D. d. A. Campos, S. A. K. Azevedo, M. N. F. Trotta, D. D. R. Henriques, M. M. T. Craik, and H. P. Silva. 2006. On a new titanosaur sauropod from the Bauru Group, Late Cretaceous of Brazil. Boletim do Museu Nacional, Nova Série, Geologia 74:1-31.
Creationist comment
Re "its body was protected with osteoderms", according to holotype those have not been found. The osteoderms of Saltasaurus have however been found and Maxakalisaurus is deemed "a close relative".

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