Coming soon to Cretaceous Research: Amazonsaurus maranhensis n. gen. et. sp.

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

The following is from the Articles in Press page of Cretaceous Research's
website. I'm looking forward to seeing the whole paper!

Amazonsaurus maranhensis gen. et sp. nov. (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from
the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian?Albian) of Brazil

Ismar de Souza Carvalho, Leonardo dos Santos Avilla, and Leonardo Salgado
Abstract
A new genus and species of an Aptian?Albian sauropod from the Itapecuru
Formation, northern Brazil, Amazonsaurus maranhensis, is described. It is
known from an incomplete, but diagnostic postcranial skeleton. The new taxon
possesses several autapomorphies, such as the anterior caudal vertebrae with
lateral laminae formed by the coalescence of the spinoprezygapophyseal and
postzygodiapophyseal laminae and, to a lesser extent, of the
postzygodiapophyseal laminae. It exhibits many synapomorphies supporting its
inclusion in the Diplodocoidea. These include high caudal neural arches and
anterior caudal neural arches with spinoprezygapophyseal laminae on the
lateral aspect of the neural spine. This record is consistent with previous
hypotheses on the existence of a community of Afro-South American dinosaurs.


                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796