Rayososaurus: Research Database
Somphospondyla (Sauropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~100–94 MYA) · South America — Argentina
Research Note: Rayososaurus was a somphospondylan sauropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. It provides important data on sauropod diversity and biogeography in South America during the Cretaceous period.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mannion & Barrett 2013: Rayososaurus and South American Cretaceous sauropod diversity
Mannion & Barrett 2013 provide comprehensive data on Rayososaurus within the context of South American Cretaceous sauropod diversity, establishing its somphospondylan affinities
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Confirmed | A | 2013 | Fossil | Mannion & Barrett, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
|
Gallina et al. 2016: Additional somphospondylan specimens from the Cretaceous of South America
Gallina et al. 2016 provide additional anatomical data on Rayososaurus and other somphospondylan sauropods from the Cretaceous of South America
|
Confirmed | B | 2016 | Fossil | Gallina et al., Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Active Debate: Somphospondylan Systematics and Cretaceous South American Sauropod Biogeography
The precise phylogenetic placement of Rayososaurus within Somphospondyla and its relationships to other South American Cretaceous sauropods continue to be debated.
What We Still Do Not Know About Rayososaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Body mass: Estimated.
- Skin and armour: Unknown.
- Growth patterns: No bone histology data.
In Depth
A very small sauropod, Rayososaurus is considered to be very similar to another genus called Rebbachisaurus. Because Rayososaurus is from South America and Rebbachisaurus is from Africa, this has given rise to the notion that these two continents were joined for much longer than previously thought back in the Cretaceous.
Further Reading
– Cretaceous tetrapods of Argentina. – M�nchner Geowissenschaften Abhandlungen 30:73-130. – J. F. Bonaparte – 1996.
