A natural cranial endocast with possible dicraeosaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) affinities from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia

A partially preserved sauropod natural cranial endocast (MLL-003) was collected from the Lower Cretaceous Mulichinco Formation in Argentina. The cast consists of cemented sandstone that has preserved in detail the general endocranial morphology, but not the cranial nerves. The dural expansion, the d...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Paulina Carabajal, Ariana, Coria, Rodolfo Anibal, Currie, P. J., Koppelhus, E. B.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/86084
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/86084
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:DICRAEOSAURIDAE
NATURAL ENDOCAST
NEUROCRANIUM
PATAGONIA
VALANGINIAN
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:A partially preserved sauropod natural cranial endocast (MLL-003) was collected from the Lower Cretaceous Mulichinco Formation in Argentina. The cast consists of cemented sandstone that has preserved in detail the general endocranial morphology, but not the cranial nerves. The dural expansion, the dorsal portion of the medulla oblongata, the cerebrum and the optic lobes are preserved, and suggest the specimen belongs to a sauropod dinosaur. The presence of the pineal foramen, and possibly post-parietal foramen and floccular process, suggests this specimen is more likely related to dicraeosaurids than it is to Titanosauriformes. This makes specimen MLL-003 particularly relevant because the paleoneurology of Dicraeosauridae is poorly known.