Name:
Notocolossus
(Southern colossus).
Phonetic: No-toe-col-los-sus.
Named By: B. J. Gonz�lez Riga, M. C.
Lamanna, L. D. Ortiz David, J. O. Calvo & J.
P. Coria - 2016.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Sauropoda, Somphospondyli, Titanosauria.
Species: N. gonzalezparejasi
(type).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Humerus measures about 1.76 meters long.
Known locations: Argentina - Plottier Formation.
Time period: Coniacian to Santonian of the
Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial remains
of at least two individuals together including dorsal (back) and
caudal (tail) vertebrae, partial pubis, hind foot bones and a
humerus (upper arm bone).
Notocolossus
seems to be yet another genus of giant titanosaurian
sauropod dinosaur
from South America, a continent that is now famous for the presence
of such dinosaurs. The full length of Notocolossus
is still
speculative, but with an upper arm bone measuring 1.76 meters in
length, it is fairly safe to say that Notocolossus
would have been
easily about the twenty-five meter long mark. This could be just as
well as South America at this time is known to have also had very large
predators such as carcharodontid
theropod dinosaurs such as
Giganotosaurus
and Mapusaurus
roaming about at this time as well.
In
the initial 2016 description of the genus, Notocolossus
was
treated as a sister species to Dreadnoughtus
which was named in 2014.
Further reading
- A gigantic new dinosaur from Argentina and the evolution of the
sauropod hind foot. - Scientific Reports 6:19165:1-15. - B.
J. Gonz�lez Riga, M. C. Lamanna, L. D. Ortiz David,
J. O. Calvo & J. P. Coria - 2016.