Padillasaurus

Padillasaurus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Barremian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Vertebrae of holotype JACVM 0001
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†Macronaria
Clade:	†Titanosauriformes
Genus:	†Padillasaurus Carballido et al., 2015
Type species
†Padillasaurus leivaensis Carballido et al., 2015

Padillasaurus is an extinct genus of titanosauriform sauropod known from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian stage) Paja Formation in Colombia. It contains a single species, Padillasaurus leivaensis, known only from a single partial axial skeleton. Initially described as a brachiosaurid, it was considered to be the first South American brachiosaurid ever discovered and named. Before its discovery, the only known brachiosaurid material on the continent was very fragmentary and from the Jurassic period.^[1] However, a more recent study finds it to be a basal somphospondylan.^[2]

Discovery

The fossil was discovered by local farmers in a limestone nodule during the 1990s in Ricaurte, northeast of Villa de Leyva. The exact site of the find is unknown, however the rock matrix in which the fossil was located contains ammonite fossils bellowing to the species Gerhardtia galeatoides and Lytoceras sp., that allow the establishment of their origin in the middle Paja Formation which has been placed in the late Barremian, around 130 million years old. The fossil consists of vertebrae from the torso, sacrum and tail: all presumed to be from one individual. This specimen is the holotype assigned to the catalogue number JACVM 0001; this includes a rear dorsal vertebra, a series from the last two sacral vertebrae and first eight caudal vertebrae (these caudal vertebrae were found without their chevrons). The sacral vertebrae have been identified as the fourth and fifth. This fossil was donated by the farmers and became part of the collection at the museum of the Junta de Acción Comunal de la Vereda de Monquirá. Padillasaurus was originally described and named by José L. Carballido, Diego Pol, Mary L. Parra Ruge, Santiago Padilla Bernal, María E. Páramo-Fonseca y Fernando Etayo-Serna in 2015. The name of the genus pays homage to Carlos Bernardo Padilla, the founder of the Centro de Investigaciones Paleontológicas in Villa de Leyva, Colombia. The specific name, leivaensis, is named after Villa de Leyva, which is located nearby to where the vertebrae of the holotype specimen were discovered.^[1]

Padillasaurus is the first record of a Cretaceous brachiosaurid of South America; previous findings of that time were only known in North America. Although fragmentary remains of possible brachiosaurids are known from the Jurassic of Patagonia in Argentina,^[3] Padillasaurus it is the first member officially named from South America. It is also the latest brachiosaurid known from the ancient continent of Gondwana.^[1]

Description

Padillasaurus was a medium-sized titanosauriform. Because of the few remains found is difficult to determine what would have been its body size, but may have had between 16 and 18 meters long and weigh about 10 tonnes.^[4]

Padillasaurus is distinguished from other titanosauriforms in having its caudal vertebrae weakly expanded to the sides, and displaying divided side projections. The species shows some typical basic features of Titanosauriformes: the vertebra is opisthocoelic, with a convex front section and the back concave. The edges show large pleurocoels, pneumatic processes that connected to the hollow interior of the body of the vertebra, which consisted of several hollow cavities. The spine also had an additional lamina between the diapophysis and the body of the vertebra. The anterior caudal vertebrae are flattened or slightly concave from the front and from behind, or vice versa. The neural arches are positioned relatively forward. These have long ridges that run between the protuberances of the joint face and body of the vertebra. The side projections are oriented obliquely backwards and have a convex lower area. The caudal vertebrae have a height equal to half of its width.^[1]

Phylogeny

Padillasaurus was initially classified in the family Brachiosauridae based on its morphology. It had cavities in the sacral vertebrae that had no connection with the hollow interior of the vertebra, therefore lacking a true pleurocoel. This feature links it to the brachiosaurids. A cladistic analysis was unable to determine the exact relationships of Padillasaurus with other genera, finding a polytomy among basal forms including Padillasaurus, Abydosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan, while Cedarosaurus and Venenosaurus were occasionally recovered as sister taxa. Unlike Cretaceous brachiosaurids from North America, in which the spinous process of the caudal vertebrae leaned slightly forward, those of Padillasaurus were angled rearward.

Cladogram from Carballido et al., 2015:^[1]

In 2017, a study concluded that Padillasaurus was not a brachiosaurid but a basal member of the Somphospondyli.^[2]

References

• v
• t
• e

Sauropodomorpha

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Avemetatarsalia Clade: Dinosauria
Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Sauropodomorpha see below↓

Sauropodomorpha
Sauropodomorpha Buriolestes Eoraptor Gigantoscelus Guaibasaurus Mbiresaurus Pampadromaeus Panphagia Saturnaliidae Buriolestes? Eoraptor? Chromogisaurus Nhandumirim Pampadromaeus? Panphagia? Saturnalia Bagualosauria Arcusaurus Asylosaurus Bagualosaurus Efraasia Nambalia Pantydraco Thecodontosaurus Unaysauridae Jaklapallisaurus Macrocollum Unaysaurus Plateosauria Plateosauravus Ruehleia Xixiposaurus Plateosauridae Euskelosaurus Gresslyosaurus Issi Pachysauriscus Plateosaurus Yimenosaurus Massopoda Gryponyx Gyposaurus Kholumolumo Ignavusaurus Sarahsaurus Tuebingosaurus Riojasauridae Eucnemesaurus Riojasaurus Massospondylidae Adeopapposaurus Coloradisaurus Glacialisaurus Ignavusaurus? Leyesaurus Lufengosaurus Massospondylus Ngwevu Pradhania Sarahsaurus Xingxiulong? Sauropodiformes Chuxiongosaurus? Jingshanosaurus Qianlong Seitaad Xingxiulong? Yizhousaurus Yunnanosaurus Anchisauria Aardonyx Anchisaurus Camelotia Irisosaurus Lamplughsaura Leonerasaurus Melanorosaurus Meroktenos Mussaurus Pulanesaura Sefapanosaurus Sauropoda see below↓

Sauropoda
Sauropoda Amygdalodon Blikanasaurus Chinshakiangosaurus Gongxianosaurus Isanosaurus Leonerasaurus? Pulanesaura? Protognathosaurus Schleitheimia Tuebingosaurus? Lessemsauridae Antetonitrus Ingentia Ledumahadi Lessemsaurus Gravisauria Archaeodontosaurus? Kotasaurus Ohmdenosaurus Rhoetosaurus Sanpasaurus? Zizhongosaurus? Vulcanodontidae Tazoudasaurus Vulcanodon Eusauropoda Algoasaurus Asiatosaurus Bagualia Barapasaurus Bellusaurus Cetiosauriscus Dashanpusaurus Dystrophaeus Janenschia Jobaria Nebulasaurus Perijasaurus Shunosaurus Spinophorosaurus Tehuelchesaurus Volkheimeria Cetiosauridae Cetiosaurus Chebsaurus Ferganasaurus? Lapparentosaurus? Patagosaurus? Mamenchisauridae Analong Anhuilong Cetiosauriscus? Chuanjiesaurus Datousaurus? Eomamenchisaurus Huangshanlong Hudiesaurus Jingiella Klamelisaurus? Mamenchisaurus Omeisaurus Qijianglong Rhomaleopakhus Tienshanosaurus Tonganosaurus Wamweracaudia Xinjiangtitan Yuanmousaurus Zigongosaurus Turiasauria Amanzia Bellusaurus? Haestasaurus? Janenschia? Losillasaurus Mierasaurus Moabosaurus Narindasaurus Oplosaurus? Tehuelchesaurus? Tendaguria Turiasaurus Zby Neosauropoda Diplodocoidea (see below ↓ ) Macronaria (see below ↓ ) Dubious sauropods Bothriospondylus Cardiodon Dinodocus Gigantosaurus Neosodon Qinlingosaurus Ultrasaurus

Diplodocoidea
Diplodocoidea Haplocanthosaurus Diplodocimorpha Rebbachisauridae Agustinia Amazonsaurus Comahuesaurus Dzharatitanis? Histriasaurus Lavocatisaurus Maraapunisaurus? Sidersaura Xenoposeidon Zapalasaurus Khebbashia Limaysaurinae Cathartesaura Limaysaurus Nopcsaspondylus? Rayososaurus? Rebbachisaurinae Demandasaurus Itapeuasaurus Katepensaurus Nigersaurus Rebbachisaurus Tataouinea Flagellicaudata Dicraeosauridae Amargasaurus Amargatitanis Bajadasaurus Brachytrachelopan Dicraeosaurus Dyslocosaurus? Kaatedocus Lingwulong Pilmatueia Smitanosaurus Suuwassea Tharosaurus Diplodocidae Apatosaurinae Amphicoelias? Apatosaurus Atlantosaurus? Brontosaurus Diplodocinae Barosaurus Dinheirosaurus Diplodocus Galeamopus Kaatedocus? Leinkupal Supersaurus Tornieria

Macronaria
Macronaria Abrosaurus Aragosaurus Bashunosaurus? Daanosaurus Dashanpusaurus? Europasaurus Haestasaurus? Yuzhoulong Camarasauridae Camarasaurus Lourinhasaurus Titanosauriformes Astrodon Duriatitan Eucamerotus Fushanosaurus Fusuisaurus Ornithopsis Pelorosaurus Rugocaudia? Brachiosauridae Abydosaurus Atlasaurus Brachiosaurus Cedarosaurus Galvesaurus? Giraffatitan Lusotitan Sonorasaurus Soriatitan Venenosaurus Vouivria Somphospondyli Angolatitan Arkharavia Astrophocaudia Austrosaurus Brohisaurus Brontomerus Chubutisaurus Dongbeititan Europatitan Fukuititan Garumbatitan Jiangxititan? Jiutaisaurus Liaoningotitan Ligabuesaurus? Liubangosaurus Oceanotitan Padillasaurus Pukyongosaurus Ruixinia Sauroposeidon Sibirotitan Tastavinsaurus Triunfosaurus Euhelopodidae Australodocus? Chiayusaurus? Erketu Euhelopus Gannansaurus Gobititan Huabeisaurus Huanghetitan Jiangshanosaurus? Phuwiangosaurus Qiaowanlong Silutitan Tambatitanis Tangvayosaurus Yongjinglong Yunmenglong Diamantinasauria Australotitan Diamantinasaurus Sarmientosaurus Savannasaurus Wintonotitan? Titanosauria see below↓

Titanosauria
Titanosauria Abdarainurus Aegyptosaurus? Andesaurus Angolatitan? Arackar Argyrosaurus Atacamatitan Austroposeidon Baotianmansaurus Barrosasaurus Baurutitan? Bonatitan? Borealosaurus Brasilotitan Choconsaurus Daxiatitan Dongyangosaurus Dreadnoughtus? Elaltitan Epachthosaurus? Gandititan Hamititan Huabeisaurus Jiangshanosaurus? Kaijutitan Karongasaurus Laplatasaurus Ligabuesaurus? Magyarosaurus Malarguesaurus? Malawisaurus Mnyamawamtuka Narambuenatitan Ninjatitan Normanniasaurus Nullotitan Pellegrinisaurus? Petrobrasaurus Pitekunsaurus Rapetosaurus Rukwatitan Ruyangosaurus Tastavinsaurus? Tengrisaurus? Tiamat Traukutitan Trigonosaurus Sonidosaurus Uberabatitan Volgatitan Xianshanosaurus Diamantinasauria? Lirainosaurinae Ampelosaurus Atsinganosaurus Garrigatitan Lirainosaurus Lohuecotitan Mansourasaurus Paludititan Eutitanosauria Inawentu Menucocelsior Colossosauria Antarctosaurus Baalsaurus Bonitasaura Chucarosaurus Epachthosaurus? Jainosaurus Quetecsaurus Tengrisaurus? Vahiny Rinconsauria Adamantisaurus Maxakalisaurus? Muyelensaurus Overosaurus Panamericansaurus Rinconsaurus Aeolosaurini Aeolosaurus Arrudatitan Bravasaurus Caieiria Gondwanatitan Punatitan Shingopana Lognkosauria Argentinosaurus Drusilasaura Dzharatitanis? Futalognkosaurus Jiangxititan? Mendozasaurus Notocolossus Patagotitan Puertasaurus Saltasauroidea Bustingorrytitan Titanomachya Udelartitan Nemegtosauridae Nemegtosaurus Quaesitosaurus? Tapuiasaurus? Saltasauridae Igai Isisaurus? Qingxiusaurus Quaesitosaurus? Opisthocoelicaudiinae Alamosaurus Baurutitan? Dreadnoughtus? Opisthocoelicaudia Pellegrinisaurus? Zhuchengtitan? Saltasaurinae Abditosaurus Bonatitan? Ibirania Maxakalisaurus? Neuquensaurus Paralititan Rocasaurus Saltasaurus Yamanasaurus Dubious titanosaurs Bruhathkayosaurus? Campylodoniscus Clasmodosaurus Hypselosaurus Iuticosaurus Loricosaurus Macrurosaurus? Microcoelus Mongolosaurus? Titanosaurus

Topics in sauropodomorph research
Sauropod neck posture Sauropod hiatus List of sauropod species