Brohisaurus

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Brohisaurus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: †Sauropodomorpha
Clade: †Sauropoda
Clade: †Macronaria
Clade: †Titanosauriformes
Genus: †Brohisaurus
Malkani, 2003
Species:
†B. kirthari
Binomial name
†Brohisaurus kirthari
Malkani, 2003

Baluchisaurus is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, based on largely indeterminate fragments of some ribs, vertebrae, and limb bones. The type and only species, B. kirthari, was described by M. Sadiq Malkani in 2003 and it is currently the only valid genus of dinosaur known from Pakistan to date. The genus name means "Baluchi lizard" and refers to the Baluchi people who live in the area where it was found. The species name refers to the Kirthar Mountains. The fossils were discovered in the lowest portion of the Kimmeridgian from the Kirthar foldbelt in Pakistan.[1]

Description[]

Baluchisaurus, like all sauropod dinosaurs, would have been a large-bodied, long-necked herbivore. Its femur was only 12 cm across.[1] The 15 to 20 meter long titanosauriform Phuwiangosaurus, by contrast, had a femur 20 cm in diameter.[2]

Classification[]

Baluchisauras was originally described as a titanosaur.[1] Malkani suggested it was similar to the early African titanosaur Malawisaurus, arguing that this provided evidence for a biogeographic link between the Indian subcontinent and Africa. However, the phylogenetic position of Baluchisaurus is not clear. None of the proposed traits uniting it to Titanosauria are definitive synapomorphies of that clade.[3] It does appear to possess at least two synapomorphies of the Titanosauriformes: pneumatic cavities in its thoracic ribs and femora with elliptical cross sections.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Malkani, M. S. (2003). "First Jurassic dinosaur fossils found from Kirthar range, Khuzdar District, Balochistan, Pakistan" (PDF). Geological Bulletin of the University of Peshawar. 36: 73–83.
  2. ^ Martin, V.; Suteethorn, V.; Buffetaut, E. (1999). "Description of the type and referred material of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae Martin, Buffetaut and Suteethorn, 1994, a sauropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand". Oryctos. 2: 39–91.
  3. ^ Mannion, Philip D.; Upchurch, Paul; Barnes, Rosie N.; Mateus, Octávio (2013). "Osteology of the Late Jurassic Portuguese sauropod dinosaur Lusotitan atalaiensis (Macronaria) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms" (PDF). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 168: 98–206. doi:10.1111/zoj.12029.
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