Cienciargentina
| Cienciargentina Temporal range: Late Cretaceous,
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Superfamily: | †Diplodocoidea |
| Family: | †Rebbachisauridae |
| Genus: | †Cienciargentina Simón & Salgado, 2025 |
| Species: | †C. sanchezi
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Cienciargentina sanchezi Simón & Salgado, 2025
| |
Cienciargentina is a genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Huincul Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, Cienciargentina sanchezi, known from three partial skeletons of different sizes. Cienciargentina is the fourth definitive rebbachisaurid to be named from the Huincul Formation.
Discovery and naming
[edit]Three Cienciargentina specimens have been identified based on differences in size, despite their disarticulation and association. The holotype specimen, MMCH-Pv 45, comprises three cervical vertebrae, four dorsal vertebrae, two ribs, seventeen caudal vertebrae, four haemal arches, a scapula and sternal plate, an ischium, and both femora, tibiae, and fibulae. Two paratypes include the smaller MMCH-PV 54 (a right ischium and tibia) and the larger MMCH-PV 55 (two ribs and a fibula). They were found in the La Antena locality of the Huincul Formation in Villa El Chocón, Neuquén Province, Argentina.[1][2]
In 2025, Simón & Salgado described the remains as a new genus and species of rebbachisaurid. The generic name, Cienciargentina, honors the scientific and technological system of Argentina that contributes to the development of the country. The specific name, sanchezi, honors Teresa Sánchez for her work on Argentinian paleontology.[1]
Classification
[edit]
In their 2025 description of Cienciargentina, Simón & Salgado recovered it as the basalmost member of the diplodocoid family Rebbachisauridae. These results are displayed in the cladogram below:[1]
Paleoenvironment
[edit]
Cienciargentina is known from the Late Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Río Negro Province, Argentina. The three specimens of Cienciargentina were found in association with the remains of the titanosaur Choconsaurus.[1] Multiple other rebbachisaurids (Cathartesaura, Limaysaurus, and Sidersaura) are also known from this formation, implying high faunal turnover for the group.[3][4]
Many other dinosaurs, including titanosaurs (Argentinosaurus, Bustingorrytitan, and Chucarosaurus),[5] carcharodontosaurids (Mapusaurus, Meraxes, and Taurovenator),[6] a megaraptoran (Aoniraptor), abelisaurids (Skorpiovenator, Tralkasaurus, and Ilokelesia), an elaphrosaurine (Huinculsaurus),[7] a paravian (Overoraptor), and the unusual avetheropod Gualicho have also been named from the formation.[8][9] Remains of unenlagiids, iguanodonts, and elasmarian ornithopods are also known.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Simón, M. E.; Salgado, L. (2025). "New rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Huincul Formation (upper Cenomanian-Turonian) of Villa El Chocón (Neuquén Province, Argentina)". Cretaceous Research. 106137. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106137.
- ^ Simón, Edith; Salgado, Leonardo; Calvo, Jorge O. (2017), "A new titanosaur sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Neuquén Province, Argentina", Ameghiniana, 55: 1–29, doi:10.5710/AMGH.01.08.2017.3051, hdl:11336/89326, retrieved 2020-03-16
- ^ Calvo, Jorge O.; Salgado, Leonardo (1995). "Rebbachisaurus tessonei sp. nov. a new Sauropoda from the Albian-Cenomanian of Argentina; new evidence on the origin of the Diplodocidae" (PDF). Gaia. 11: 13–33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2021.
- ^ Lerzo, Lucas Nicolás; Gallina, Pablo Ariel; Canale, Juan Ignacio; Otero, Alejandro; Carballido, José Luis; Apesteguía, Sebastián; Makovicky, Peter Juraj (2024-01-03). "The last of the oldies: a basal rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) of Patagonia, Argentina". Historical Biology: 1–26. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2297914. ISSN 0891-2963.
- ^ Simón, M. E.; Salgado, L. (2023). "A new gigantic titanosaurian sauropod from the early Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina)". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. doi:10.4202/app.01086.2023.
- ^ Canale, Juan I.; Apesteguía, Sebastián; Gallina, Pablo A.; Mitchell, Jonathan; Smith, Nathan D.; Cullen, Thomas M.; Shinya, Akiko; Haluza, Alejandro; Gianechini, Federico A.; Makovicky, Peter J. (July 2022). "New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction". Current Biology. 32 (14): 3195–3202.e5. Bibcode:2022CBio...32E3195C. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.057. PMID 35803271. S2CID 250343124.
- ^ Baiano, Mattia A.; Coria, Rodolfo A.; Cau, Andrea (June 2020). "A new abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Huincul Formation (lower Upper Cretaceous, Neuquén Basin) of Patagonia, Argentina". Cretaceous Research. 110: 104408. Bibcode:2020CrRes.11004408B. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104408. S2CID 214118853.
- ^ Cerroni, M.A.; Motta, M.J.; Agnolín, F.L.; Aranciaga Rolando, A.M.; Brissón Egli, F.; Novas, F.E. (2020). "A new abelisaurid from the Huincul Formation (Cenomanian-Turonian; Upper Cretaceous) of Río Negro province, Argentina". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 98: 102445. Bibcode:2020JSAES..9802445C. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2019.102445. S2CID 213781725.
- ^ Matías J. Motta; Federico L. Agnolín; Federico Brissón Egli; Fernando E. Novas (2020). "New theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia sheds light on the paravian radiation in Gondwana". The Science of Nature. 107 (3): Article number 24. Bibcode:2020SciNa.107...24M. doi:10.1007/s00114-020-01682-1. hdl:11336/135530. PMID 32468191. S2CID 218913199.
- ^ Agnolin, Federico L.; Gonzalez Riga, Bernardo J.; Aranciaga Rolando, Alexis M.; Rozadilla, Sebastián; Motta, Matías J.; Chimento, Nicolás R.; Novas, Fernando E. (2023-02-02). "A new giant titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Northwestern Patagonia, Argentina". Cretaceous Research. 146: 105487. Bibcode:2023CrRes.14605487A. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105487. ISSN 0195-6671.
