Tataouinea

Name: Tataouinea (from Tataouine).
Phonetic: Ta-tow-e-ne-ah.
Named By: F.‭ ‬Fanti,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cau,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Hassine & M.‭ ‬Contessi‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Rebbachisauridae.
Species: T.‭ ‬hannibalis‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Uncertain due to lack of remains,‭ ‬but comparison to similar sauropods indicates a size of about‭ ‬13.5‭ ‬meters for the holotype individual.
Known locations: Tunisia.
Time period: Albian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial remains including vertebrae and pelvis.

       Although only known from partial remains,‭ ‬Tataouinea has been identified as a rebbachisaurid sauropod,‭ ‬and one that is closely related to genera such as Nigersaurus,‭ ‬which are also known to have been present in North Africa during the early Cretaceous.‭ ‬The fossils of Tataouinea have revealed in life the bones of Tataouinea would have been highly pneumaticized,‭ ‬indicating an avian-like respiratory system.‭ ‬Possible predatory threats to Tataouinea may have included carcharodontosaurid theropods similar to Carcharodontosaurus,‭ ‬as well as giant prehistoric crocodiles such as Sarcosuchus.

Further reading
-‭ ‬A new sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia with extreme avian-like pneumatization.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Nature Communications‭ ‬4‭(‬2080‭)‬:1-7.‭ ‬-‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Fanti,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Cau,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Hassine & M.‭ ‬Contessi‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.
- New Information on Tataouinea hannibalis from the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia and Implications for the Tempo and Mode of Rebbachisaurid Sauropod Evolution. - PLoS ONE. 10 (4): e0123475. - F. Fanti, A. Cau, L. Cantelli, M. Hassine & M. Auditore - 2015.






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