Australodocus bohetii - new diplodocoid from... Africa

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Remes, Kristian (2007) A second Gondwanan diplodocid dinosaur from the Upper 
Jurassic Tendaguru Beds of Tanzania, East Africa.  Palaeontology 50: 
653?667.

ABSTRACT: "A new genus and species of diplodocid sauropod (Sauropoda, 
Diplodocoidea), _Australodocus bohetii_, is described.  The type material 
from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Tendaguru Beds of Tanzania, East Africa, 
consists of two successive mid-cervical vertebrae. These vertebrae do not 
show the extreme elongation of the cervical vertebrae that is diagnostic for 
_Tornieria_, and, apart from proportional differences, exhibit four 
autapomorphic characters not seen in other diplodocids: (1) pleurocoel 
weakly developed; (2) ridge posterolateral to the anterior condyle strongly 
posteroventrally orientated; (3) triangular pneumatic cavity ventral to the 
prezygapophysis, enclosed by the lateral ramus of the centroprezygapophyseal 
lamina and an anteriorly extended prezygodiapophyseal lamina; and (4) 
prominent prezygapophyseal process pointed, laterally keeled and surpassing 
the prezygapophysis anteriorly.  _Australodocus bohetii_ is the second 
diplodocid known from Tendaguru, and thereby the second diplodocid known 
from Gondwana.  This impedes the customary reference of isolated East 
African diplodocid material to _Tornieria_, which can now only be assigned 
to Diplodocidae indet.  The find supports previously proposed vicariance 
models of diplodocid palaeobiogeography."

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