Dinheirosaurus
Encyclopedia
Dinheirosaurus is a genus
of diplodocid
sauropod dinosaur
. It has been found in the upper section (Kimmeridgian) of the Late Jurassic
strata of the Camadas de Alcobaça Formation located in central-western Portugal
at Porto Dinheiro
, Lourinhã
. It was described in 1999 by Bonaparte
and Mateus
, after excavations that lasted from 1987, the year of its discovery, and 1992.
The material found was at first referred to the previously described and coeval genus Lourinhasaurus
due to perceived similarities. Later analysis revealed the fossil to be a different kind of sauropod and was thus described as Dinheirosaurus. The two genera were for some time still regarded as possible synonyms but further interpretation of both finds left no doubt of their independent status.
The type species
is D. lourinhanensis, named for the town of Lourinhã.
, ML 414) of which the well-preserved articulated dorsal vertebrae are notable. The material also includes 12 dorsal ribs and fragmented limb bones. Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis is characterized by its Diplodocus
-like vertebrae with bifurcated neural spines that have different proportions when compared to Diplodocus. Also present is an accessory interverterbral articulation provided by structures derived from the hyposphene.
at the time, separated from the North America
n and Europe
an mainland.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of diplodocid
Diplodocid
Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae , are a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the earth, including Diplodocus and Supersaurus, which may have reached lengths of up to .-Description:While still massive, when compared to the...
sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
. It has been found in the upper section (Kimmeridgian) of the Late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
strata of the Camadas de Alcobaça Formation located in central-western Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
at Porto Dinheiro
Porto Dinheiro
Porto Dinheiro is a locality in the county of Ribamar, municipality of Lourinhã, in Portugal.It is known as a rich fossil locality, from where were found many Late Jurassic dinosaurs and mammals...
, Lourinhã
Lourinhã
Lourinhã is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 147.2 km² and a total population of 24,601 inhabitants. The seat of the municipality is the village of Lourinhã, with a population of 8,800 inhabitants....
. It was described in 1999 by Bonaparte
José Bonaparte
José Fernando Bonaparte, Ph.D. , is an Argentine paleontologist who discovered a plethora of South American dinosaurs and mentored a new generation of Argentine paleontologists like Rodolfo Coria...
and Mateus
Octávio Mateus
Octávio Mateus is a Portuguese dinosaur paleontologist and biologist . He received his PhD at Universidade Nova de Lisboa in 2005...
, after excavations that lasted from 1987, the year of its discovery, and 1992.
The material found was at first referred to the previously described and coeval genus Lourinhasaurus
Lourinhasaurus
Lourinhasaurus was a sauropod dinosaur genus hailing from Late Jurassic strata from two localities in Estremadura, Portugal. It was described by Dantas et al. in 1998. Its type species is L...
due to perceived similarities. Later analysis revealed the fossil to be a different kind of sauropod and was thus described as Dinheirosaurus. The two genera were for some time still regarded as possible synonyms but further interpretation of both finds left no doubt of their independent status.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is D. lourinhanensis, named for the town of Lourinhã.
Material
The fossil remains consist of a partial skeleton (the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, ML 414) of which the well-preserved articulated dorsal vertebrae are notable. The material also includes 12 dorsal ribs and fragmented limb bones. Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis is characterized by its Diplodocus
Diplodocus
Diplodocus , or )is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a Neo-Latin term derived from Greek "double" and "beam", in reference to its double-beamed chevron bones...
-like vertebrae with bifurcated neural spines that have different proportions when compared to Diplodocus. Also present is an accessory interverterbral articulation provided by structures derived from the hyposphene.
Systematics
These characteristics may indicate that D. lourinhanensis is derived from a more primitive diplodocid than Diplodocus, having evolved in the isolation of islands, as was the case with the Iberian PeninsulaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
at the time, separated from the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an mainland.
Links
- Dinheirosaurus
- Dinheirosaurus in the Dinosaur Encyclopedia at DinoRuss' Lair