Changes in vertebral laminae across the cervico-dorsal transition of a well-preserved rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Cenomanian of Patagonia, Argentina

ALEJANDRO HALUZA; JUAN CANALE; ALEJANDRO OTERO; LEANDRO PÈREZ; CARLOS SCANFERLA

JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY

SOC VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY

Año: 2012 vol. 30 p. 219 - 224

0272-4634

This research present new materials assignable to Rebbachisauridae, recovered from the Huincul Formation, Neuquén Group, near Villa El Chocón, Neuquén Province. The rebbachisaurid remains correspond to a single, partially articulated, and exceptionally-preserved skeleton, which includes cervical and dorsal vertebrae, thoracic ribs, scapula, and a humerus. The importance of studying complete serial elements of the skeleton (e.g., vertebral series) lies on the ability to track specific elements (i.e., landmarks), which are useful to unambiguously recognize homologous structures. In this regard, the preserved cervico-dorsal series described herein gives remarkable anatomical and systematic information, allowing the recognition of the transitional morphology, topology, and extent of the vertebral laminae. The well-preserved remains of Rebbachisauridae presented herein provided new information of the morphological changes in the cervicodorsal transition above the zygodiapophyseal plane, specifically those occurred in the sprl and the eprl. A close relationship between MMCH-Pv 49 and Cathartesaura anaerobica is possible, but comparisons are limited to a single vertebra at the moment. The affinities of MMCH-Pv 49 will be resolved with further discoveries.