A REASSESSMENT OF THE PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF CRETACEOUS SAUROPOD DINOSAURS FROM QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

Authors

  • Ralph E. Molnar Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff.

Abstract

The Cretaceous sauropod material from Queensland, Australia, has been regarded as pertaining to a persistently primitive sauropod lineage (e.g., Coombs and Molnar). The specimens derive from the Toolebuc and Allaru (Albian marine) and Winton (Cenomanian continental) Formations. Recent phylogenetic analyses carried out by workers in Argentina, the USA and England permit a reassessment of this fragmentary material. As far as can be ascertained from the material, there is no indication from the character states that more than a single taxon is represented. Character states diagnostic of the Titanosauriforrnes, the Titanosauria, the Somphospondyli and the Titanosauridae are present. Thus the Queensland material does not pertain to cetiosaurids but belongs to titanosaurs, extending their range into Australia.

KEY WORDS. Sauropods. Austrosaurus. Titanosaurs. Cretaceous. Paleozoogeography.

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Published

2015-10-01

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2001)

Section

Thematic Volume

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a CC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.