Nopcsaspondylus

Nop-ska-spon-de-lus.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Nopcsaspondylus ‭(‬Nopsca’s vertebra‭)‬.

Phonetic

Nop-ska-spon-de-lus.

Named By

Sebasti�n Apestegu�a‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Diplodocoidea,‭ ‬Rebbachisauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

N.‭ ‬alarconensis‭

Size

Unknown.

Known locations

Argentina,‭ ‬Neuqu�n Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Candeleros Formation.

Time Period

Coniacian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Dorsal‭ (‬back‭) ‬vertebra.

In Depth

       The type specimen of Nopcsaspondylus,‭ ‬a dorsal vertebra,‭ ‬was first described by Franz Nopsca in‭ ‬1902,‭ ‬who referred it to the now dubious sauropod genus Bothriospondylus,‭ ‬quite surprising when you consider that the Bothriospondylus type material came from England.‭ ‬This vertebrae was renamed as Nopcsaspondylus in‭ ‬2007,‭ ‬with the identification that it represents part of a rebbachisaurid sauropod.‭

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Notizen �ber Cretacischen Dinosaurier.‭ ‬Pt.‭ ‬3.‭ ‬Wirbel eines s�damerikanischen Sauropoden‭ [‬Notes on Cretaceous dinosaurs.‭ ‬Pt.‭ ‬Third vertebra of a South American sauropods‭]‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Akademie der Wissenschaften‭ ‬3:‭ ‬108‭–‬114.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Franz Nopcsa‭ ‬-‭ ‬1902. -‭ ‬The sauropod diversity of the La Amarga Formation‭ (‬Barremian‭)‬,‭ ‬Neuqu�n‭ (‬Argentina‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Gondwana Research‭ ‬12‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬533‭–‬546.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Sebasti�n Apestegu�a‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

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