Drusilasaura is an extinct genus

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 possible lognkosauria

Lognkosauria

Lognkosauria is a group of giant long-necked sauropod dinosaurs within the clade Titanosauria, and includes some of the largest and heaviest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth.-Defining characteristics:...

n titanosaur

Titanosaur

Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...

 sauropod which lived during the late Cretaceous

Cretaceous

The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...

 (Cenomanian

Cenomanian

The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous series. An age is a unit of geochronology: it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the stratigraphic column deposited during the corresponding...

-Turonian

Turonian

The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...

 stage) of Santa Cruz Province of southern Patagonia

Patagonia

Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

.

Drusilasaura is known from the holotype

Holotype

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...

 MPM-PV 2097/1 to 2097/19, a partial skeleton

Skeleton

The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...

 including four dorsal vertebrae, a sacral vertebra, six caudal vertebrae, a left scapula

Scapula

In anatomy, the scapula , omo, or shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus with the clavicle ....

, dorsal rib

Rib

In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...

 fragments and other fragments. It was found by palaeontologist Marcelo Tejedor searching fossil mammals, in layers of the Upper Member of the Bajo Barreal Formation

Bajo Barreal Formation

The Bajo Barreal Formation is a geological formation in Chubut, Argentina whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous.-Dinosaurs:Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...

, on the María Aike Ranch owned by the Ortiz de Zárate family. A team from the Laboratorio de Paleontología de Vertebrados of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco

Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco

The National University of the Patagonia San Juan Bosco is a higher education establishment in Patagonia, southern Argentina. It was created on February 25, 1980, by law 22.713, as the merge of two national universities: the "Universidad de San Juan Bosco" and "Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia"...

subsequently collected the remains.

Drusilasaura was named by César Navarrete, Gabriel Casal and Rubén Martínez

Rubén Martínez

Rubén Martínez is a former Chilean footballer currently played in clubs of Chile and Mexico.-Teams: Campos de Batalla 1980 Cobresal 1981-1989 Colo Colo 1991-1993 Santos Laguna 1993-1994 Tampico Madero 1994-1995 Unión Española 1995 Provincial Osorno 1996 Deportes La Serena 1996-1997 Cobresal...

 in 2011

2011 in paleontology

-Lobopods:-Arachnids:-Insects:-Newly named jawless vertebrates:-Newly named acanthodian:-Newly named cartilaginous fishes:-Newly named bony fishes:-Newly named lepospondyls:-Newly named temnospondyls:-Newly named lissamphibians:...

. 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 Drusilasaura deseadensis. The generic name honours Drusila Ortiz de Zárate, a young female member of the family, also occasioning the choice of the feminine form ~saura. The specific name refers to the Río Deseado.

Drusilasaura is a large sauropod. The length of the scapula is 143 centimetres, 30% longer than that of Mendozasaurus

Mendozasaurus

Mendozasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. It was a member of Titanosauria, which were massive sauropods that were common on the southern landmasses during the Cretaceous period....

.

Drusilasaura was assigned to the Titanosauridae by the describers and considered a possible member of the Lognkosauria

Lognkosauria

Lognkosauria is a group of giant long-necked sauropod dinosaurs within the clade Titanosauria, and includes some of the largest and heaviest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth.-Defining characteristics:...

. If so, it would be the oldest known lognkosaurian.