Huanghetitan ruyangensis - new big-ass sauropod from China

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Lu J., Xu L., Zhang X.,  Hu W., Wu Y., Jia S., and Ji. Q. (2007) A new 
gigantic sauropod dinosaur with the deepest known body cavity from the 
Cretaceous of Asia.  Acta Geologica Sinica 81: 167-176.

Abstract: ?A new species of sauropod dinosaur _Huanghetitan ruyangensis_ is 
erected based on the following characters: deepest body cavity with a dorsal 
rib reaching at least 2.93m long, anterior caudal vertebrae with 
mushroom-shaped neural spines.  Based on this new specimen of _Hunaghetitan_ 
found in the early Late Cretaceous Magchuan Formation of Ruyang, Henan 
Province, the family Huanghetitanidae fam. nov. is proposed as a new rank to 
include only the genus _Huanghetitan_ You et al., 2006.  At present, 
_Huanghetitan_ includes two species: _H. liujiaxensis_ You et al., 2006 and 
_H. ruyangensis_ sp. nov.  The systematic relationships of _Huanghetitan_ 
among sauropod dinosaurs are briefly discussed.?

The new taxon is known from a partial skeleton comprising 6 sacrals, 10 
proximal caudals, haemal arches, dorsal ribs, and an incomplete sacrum.  The 
new family (Huanghetitanidae) is redundant, given that it includes only one 
genus (_Huanghetitan_).  Both species (_H. liujiaxensis_, _H. ruyangensis_) 
share characters of the sacral vertebrae (fused neural spines low and 
forming a "platform").  The anterior caudals are slightly procoelous, 
mid-caudals are amphiplatyan.  The tips of the neural spines of the sacrals 
and proximal caudals are laterally expanded, as in _Agustinia_, so the 
authors suggest that _Hunaghetitan_ might have been armored ? although no 
osteoderms were found.  The analysis shows _Huanghetitan_ to be a 
non-titanosaurian titanosauriform between _Brachiosaurus_ and _Euhelopus_, 
although support was weak.

Cheers

Tim

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