A team of paleontologists has discovered a new 22-foot-long titanosaur species, Chadititan calvoi, near a salt flat in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The discovery is estimated to have occurred around 78 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.
Chadititan was found to be small and slender, with elongated vertebrae and delicate limbs. It was an herbivore and belonged to the Rinconsaurian group. The new species was uncovered in a shallow pond surrounded by sand dunes and palm trees, which suggests a more arid environment at the time.
The fossils found near Chadititan include those of ancient snails, garfishes, crocodile relatives, clams, freshwater turtles, and other organisms. Notably, the abundance of freshwater turtles made up over 90 percent of the recovered fossils, which is highly unusual compared to coeval sites in North America and Europe.
The discovery sheds new light on Patagonian ecosystems during the last 15 million years of the Cretaceous Period. Continued study of the area aims to broaden our scientific understanding of dinosaurs and other vertebrates that lived in Patagonia.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/22-foot-long-titanosaur-discovered-160000833.html