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In Argentina, paleontologists have introduced a new dinosaur species from the Titanosaur group, named Titanomachya gimenezi, which lived during the late Cretaceous Epoch, a period spanning from 66 to 145 million years ago. This discovery occurred in Chubut province, located in Patagonian Argentina, where researchers found fossils including parts of forelimbs, hindlimbs, as well as pieces of ribs and vertebrae. This marks the first identification of a sauropod species from this particular geological formation. "The morphology of the talus—a bone crucial for distributing force from the tibia inside the foot—exhibits traits that have never been seen in other titanosaurs, showing a blend of features from the Colossosauria and Saltasauroidea lineages, which underscores its significant evolutionary role," stated Agustín Pérez Moreno from CONICET and Museo de La Plata. Despite its lineage, Titanomachya gimenezi was remarkably smaller than its gigantic relatives, measuring only about as tall as a cow, a stark contrast to the Patagotitan mayorum, which could reach up to 130 feet in length and weigh about 70 tonnes. In comparison, Titanomachya gimenezi weighed approximately seven tonnes and stood around 6 feet tall. The significance of this smaller size reflects broader patterns of dinosaur diversity during the late Cretaceous period. This finding is part of a collaborative project involving the National Geographic Society and more than ten museums and universities in Argentina, including the Museo de La Plata. This initiative seeks to fill gaps in our understanding of the last 15 million years of the Cretaceous Period, focusing on the dinosaurs and vertebrates that populated Patagonia during this crucial era. According to National Geographic Explorer Diego Pol, "The discovery of Titanomachya contributes to existing evidence of a major ecological shift at the end of the Cretaceous, characterized by the downsizing of titanosaurs, a reduction in their numbers, and the dominance of other herbivorous dinosaurs like hadrosaurs." He noted that this shift occurred against a backdrop of changing climates, habitats, and the encroachment of the Atlantic Ocean into large parts of Patagonia.
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