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Saltasaurus loricatus

Reptilia - Saltasauridae

Taxonomy
Saltasaurus loricatus was named by Bonaparte and Powell (1980). Its type specimen is PVL 4017-92, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Estancia "El Brete" (PVL), which is in a Maastrichtian fluvial-lacustrine sandstone in the Lecho Formation of Argentina.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1980Saltasaurus loricatus Bonaparte and Powell pp. 20-23 figs. 3-6
1981Saltasaurus loricatus Olshevsky p. 41
1984Saltasaurus loricatus Bonaparte p. 119
1986Saltasaurus loricatus Mourier et al. p. 173
1990Saltasaurus loricatus McIntosh p. 351
1992Saltasaurus loricatus Powell p. 171
1993Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado and Coria p. 127
1995Saltasaurus loricatus Le Loeuff p. 699
1995Saltasaurus loricatus Le Loeuff et al. p. 156
1996Saltasaurus loricatus Bonaparte p. 105 fig. 38
1996Saltasaurus loricatus Jacobs et al. p. 600
1997Saltasaurus loricatus Novas p. 681
1997Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado and Calvo pp. 37-38
1997Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado et al. p. 5
1999Saltasaurus loricatus Prasad and Sahni p. 382
2000Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado and Azpilicueta p. 259
2003Saltasaurus loricatus Calvo and González Riga
2003Saltasaurus loricatus Powell p. 29
2003Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado p. 442
2004Saltasaurus loricatus Franco-Rosas et al. p. 332
2004Saltasaurus loricatus Upchurch et al. p. 270
2004Saltasaurus loricatus You et al. p. 908
2005Saltasaurus loricatus Apesteguía p. 253 fig. 12.2
2005Saltasaurus loricatus Campos et al. p. 569
2005Saltasaurus loricatus Curry Rogers p. 66
2005Saltasaurus loricatus Kellner et al. p. 536
2005Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado and Coria p. 441
2006Saltasaurus loricatus Kellner et al. p. 3
2006Saltasaurus loricatus Malkani p. 193
2006Saltasaurus loricatus Santucci and Bertini p. 355
2007Saltasaurus loricatus Molnar and Wiffen p. 508
2008Saltasaurus loricatus Filippi and Garrido p. 581
2008Saltasaurus loricatus Malkani p. 56
2009Saltasaurus loricatus González Riga et al. p. 141
2009Saltasaurus loricatus Salgado and Coria p. 11
2010Saltasaurus loricatus Canudo et al. p. 167
2010Saltasaurus loricatus Cerda and Powell p. 389
2010Saltasaurus loricatus Malkani p. 198
2010Saltasaurus loricatus Otero p. 419
2011Saltasaurus loricatus D'Emic and Wilson p. 63
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Díez Díaz et al. p. 522
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Filippi et al. p. 5
2011Saltasaurus loricatus González Riga p. 282
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Ibiricu et al. p. 347
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Marinho and Iori p. 344
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Molnar p. 333
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Navarrete et al. p. 9
2011Saltasaurus loricatus Taylor et al. p. 86
2012Saltasaurus loricatus Mannion and Otero p. 634
2012Saltasaurus loricatus Soto et al. p. 74
2012Saltasaurus loricatus Vila et al. p. 29
2013Saltasaurus loricatus Otero and Reguero p. 11
2014Saltasaurus loricatus González Riga and Ortiz David p. 3
2015Saltasaurus loricatus Filippi p. 25
2015Saltasaurus loricatus García et al. p. 45
2015Saltasaurus loricatus Malkani p. 7
2015Saltasaurus loricatus Zurriaguz and Powell p. 286
2015Saltasaurus loricatus de Jesus Faria et al. p. 157
2017Saltasaurus loricatus Averianov and Sues p. 193
2017Saltasaurus loricatus Gorscak et al. p. 9
2017Saltasaurus loricatus Silva Junior et al. p. 23
2017Saltasaurus loricatus Zurriaguz et al. p. 101
2019Saltasaurus loricatus Wilson et al. p. 21
2020Saltasaurus loricatus Moro et al.
2020Saltasaurus loricatus Páramo et al. p. 370
2021Saltasaurus loricatus Ren et al. p. 1877
2021Saltasaurus loricatus Rigby et al. p. 17
2022Saltasaurus loricatus Navarro et al. p. 326

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Life
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
RankNameAuthor
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
Ornithodira
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauria()
Saurischia()
Sauropoda()
Titanosauria
Eutitanosauria
Saltasauroidea(Powell 1992)
familySaltasauridae
subfamilySaltasaurinae
tribeSaltasauriniSalgado and Bonaparte 2007
genusSaltasaurus
speciesloricatus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Saltasaurus loricatus Bonaparte and Powell 1980
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. E. Powell 1992Skull with supratemporal fenestra more reduced than in Antarctosaurus, closed dorsally by fusion of the parietal and frontal: basisphenoid complex of triangular shape in ventral view, with a transversely narrow base and a pronounced sagittal crest; fenestra ovalis open to the passage of nerves IX-XI, basipterygoids joined proximally; basal tubera of the basioccipital are fused.
The cervical vertebrae are relatively shorter and broader than those of the known titanosaurs. Dorsal vertebrae centra lack ventral keels. The neural spines are very thick and round. Dorsal surface of the diapophysis is flat distally.
The sacrum has six fused vertebrae with the articular surfaces convex anteriorly and posteriorly. The first caudal is procoelous. The broad neural spine is compressed anteroposteriorly, and also is somewhat inclined toward the back in the anterior caudals.
The scapula shows a medial prominence close to the anterodorsal edge. The long bones are relatively short and sturdy. The metacarpals are shorter than in Antarctosaurus, Argyrosaurus and the titanosaurs.
J. E. Powell 2003Skull with the upper temporal aperture far more reduced than in Antarctosaurus, dorsally closed by the coalescence of the parietal and the frontal, complete basisphenoid with a triangular shape in the central view, the base is transversally narrow with a pronounced sagittal crest, the fenestra ovalis opens for the passage of the IX–XI cranial nerves, the basipterygoid processes are united at their proximal ends. Cervical vertebrae are relatively shorter and broader than in the known titanosaurs. The centra of the dorsal vertebrae are without 'keels'. Neural spines are distally extremely stout and rounded. Diapophyses with a flat dorsal surface at their distal end. Sacrum with six fused vertebrae, with convex anterior and posterior articulations. The first caudal vertebra is procoelous. The neural spine broad and anteroposteriorly compressed, inclined backwards in the first caudal vertebra. Scapula with a medial prominence close to the anterodorsal edge. Long bones relatively short and robust. Metacarpals much shorter than in Antarctosaurus and Argyrosaurus and those referred to Titanosaurus. Ilium with preacetabular lamina long and strongly curved outward. Intradermic ossicles, and dermal scutes.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteinfrao
Entire body: yesg
Adult length: 10 to < 100infrao
Adult width: 10 to < 100infrao
Adult height: 10 to < 100infrao
Thickness: thickinfrao
Architecture: compact or denseinfrao
Form: sphericalinfrao
Ontogeny: accretion, modification of partsinfrao
Grouping: gregariousinfrao
Environment: terrestrialinfrao
Locomotion: actively mobileinfrao
Life habit: ground dwellinginfrao
Diet: herbivoreinfrao
Reproduction: oviparousinfrao
Dispersal: direct/internalinfrao
Dispersal 2: mobileinfrao
Created: 2005-08-25 06:14:19
Modified: 2005-08-25 08:14:19
Source: g = genus, infrao = infraorder
References: Peczkis 1995, Marsh 1875

Age range: Early/Lower Maastrichtian or 70.60000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Argentina (Salta) Atlantosauridae indet. (type locality: 13307)