Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Tyrannotitan chubutensis Novas, de Valais, Vickers- Rich and Rich, 2005 (Theropoda: Carcharodontosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina

JUAN I. CANALE; FERNANDO E. NOVAS; DIEGO POL

Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology

Taylor & Francis

Año: 2014

0891-2963

The theropod clade Carcharodontosauridae is a broadly distributed group of large allosauroid theropods. The carcharodontosaurids recorded in the Albian?Cenomanian of Gondwana are the youngest and most derived members of this clade. Tyrannotitan chubutensis, from the Cerro Castan?o Member of Cerro Barcino Formation (Albian; Chubut Group), Central Patagonia, Argentina, is of prime interest among Gondwanan carcharodontosaurids as it represents the oldest record of the group. Here we offer a detailed osteological comparative description of the holotype and paratype of Tyrannotitan chubutensis together with a new diagnosis of the species. The new information results in a better understanding of this taxon and Carcharodontosauridae. Furthermore, a comparative study of the anatomy of the pectoral girdle of Giganotosaurus isreinterpreted as very similar to that of Tyrannotitan and Mapusaurus. We also present a phylogenetic analysis of Carcharodontosauridae that recovers Tyrannotitan as a derived carcharodontosaurid, being the sister group of the clade formed by Giganotosaurus and Mapusaurus, all nested in the clade Giganotosaurini.