A Lost Titan – #365papers – 2018 – 65

Kellner and Azevedo, 1999, A new sauropod dinosaur (Titanosauria) the the Late Cretaceous of Brazil, in Tomida, Rich, and Vickers-Rich, eds., Proceedings of the Second Gondwanan Dinosaur Symposium: National Science Museum Monographs, no. 15, p. 111-142.

What’s it about?

This paper is a detailed description of Gondwanatitan foustoi, a new species of titanosaur (a sauropod) from Brazil. This new species is based upon specimen number MN 4111-V at the Museu Nacional. The material includes several vertebrae, part of a shoulder blade, parts of the hips, upper arm and lower leg bones, and some ribs.

Why does it matter?

It matters because it is very possible that MN 4111-V is now lost due to the fire that gutted the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Why did I read this?

I found this paper on the suggestion of a Twitter follower as I was looking for important fossils that likely were lost in the fire.

What did I learn?

In my own research, I don’t spend a lot of time looking at dinosaurs. I’m a little surprised by how many dinosaur species are named with no skull material at all.