Rocasaurus: Research Database
Titanosauria (Sauropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~77-75 MYA) · South America — Argentina (Neuquén Province, Cerro Barcino Formation)
Research Note: Rocasaurus was a titanosaurian sauropod from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina — a member of the Saltasauridae that provides data on titanosaur diversity and the Cretaceous dinosaur faunas of South America.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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García et al. 2012: Rocasaurus and a new titanosaur from the Cretaceous of Argentina
García et al. 2012 provide the original description and comprehensive data on Rocasaurus from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina, establishing it as a saltasaurid titanosaur and documenting titanosaur anatomy and diversity
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Confirmed | A | 2012 | Fossil | García et al., Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Sander & Peitz 2008: Rocasaurus and titanosaurid sauropods from the Cretaceous of South America
Sander & Peitz 2008 provide additional data on Rocasaurus and titanosaurid sauropods from the Cretaceous of South America, further contextualising its significance within Titanosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2008 | Fossil | Sander & Peitz, Palaeontographica | Diversity |
Active Debate: Titanosaur Evolution, Cretaceous South American Biogeography
Whether titanosaurids like Rocasaurus were social animals or solitary is debated. The diversity of titanosaurids in the Cretaceous of South America — and how they partitioned ecological resources — is still being understood.
The evolution of titanosaurid armor and body size — and the selective pressures behind gigantism — is a major question in dinosaur paleobiology.
What We Still Do Not Know About Rocasaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimens known.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Moderate; known.
- Reproduction: Unknown.
In Depth
At eight meters long Rocasaurus was actually quite small for a sauropod, though it still would have been one of the larger dinosaurs on the landscapes of late Cretaceous Argentina. However if the holotype is correctly interpreted as that of a juvenile, then adults of the genus would have certainly grown larger.
Another sauropod from the Allen Formation is Saltasaurus, a genus that Rocasaurus may have come into contact with while pterosaurs like Aerotitan flew overhead.
Further Reading
- Un nuevo saltasaurino (Sauropoda, Titanosauridae) de la provincia de R�o Negro (Formaci�n Allen, Cret�cico Superior), Patagonia, Argentina [A new saltasaurine (Sauropoda, Titanosauridae) from R�o Negro province (Allen Formation, Upper Cretaceous), Patagonia, Argentina, Leonardo Salgado and Claudia Azpilicueta - 2000.
