Abstract

CALVO, Jorge O.; PORFIRI, Juan D.; GONZALEZ-RIGA, Bernardo J.  and  KELLNER, Alexander W.A.. A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur. An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc. [online]. 2007, vol.79, n.3, pp. 529-541. ISSN 0001-3765.  doi: 10.1590/S0001-37652007000300013.

A unique site at the northern area of Patagonia (Neuquén, Argentina) reveals a terrestrial ecosystem preserved in a detail never reported before in a Late Cretaceous deposit. An extraordinary diversity and abundance of fossils was found concentrated in a 0.5 m horizon in the same quarry, including a new titanosaur sauropod, Futalognkosaurus dukei n.gen., n.sp, which is the most complete giant dinosaur known so far. Several plant leaves, showing a predominance of angiosperms over gymnosperms that likely constituted the diet of F. dukei were found too. Other dinosaurs (sauropods, theropods, ornithopods), crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs, and fishes were also discovered, allowing a partial reconstruction of this Gondwanan continental ecosystem.

Keywords : Dinosauria; Titanosauria; ecosystem; taphonomy; Upper Cretaceous; Gondwana; Patagonia; Argentina.