Rapetosaurus

“Rapeto (mischievous giant) saurian“

CLASSIFICATION

Rapetosaurus  Rogers & Forster, 2001TYPE SPECIES: R. krausei Rogers & Forster, 2001 “David W.  Krause’s Rapeto (mischievous giant)  saurian“

Animalia Vertebrata Tetrapoda Sauropsida Archosauromorpha Ornithodira Dinosauria Sauropodomorpha

see also: Genus Index, Classification

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MEASUREMENTS

LENGTH: ?15 m; 8 m (juvenile)

see also: World Records

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TIME

Maastrichtian

see also: Ages of the Mesozoic

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PLACE

Madagascar

see also: Paleo-Maps

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REMAINS

R.krausei

UA 8698 [holotype]: skull with maxillae, nasals, lacrimal, jugal, quadrate, pterygoids, partial basioccipital, paroccipital process, dentary, surangular, angular, & 24 teeth

FMNH PR 2184-2192, 2194, 2196, 2197, 2210: exoccipital, opisthotic, laterosphenoid, supraoccipital, frontals, prefrontals, surangular, parietal, caudal centrum

FMNH PR 2209 (juvenile): 75% complete skeleton

UCB 92829: mid-caudal centrum

see also: Anatomy

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ESSAY

The type specimen of this genus is the most complete titanosaur known. It shows that at least some titanosaurs had low, “horse-like” skulls like diplodocimorphs rather than “boxy” skulls like Camarasaurus.

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