Rugocaudia

Rugocaudia
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Aptian–Albian
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Titanosauriformes
Genus: Rugocaudia
Woodruff, 2012
Type species
Rugocaudia cooneyi
Woodruff, 2012

Rugocaudia is an invalid extinct genus of basal titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur known from the Early Cretaceous of Montana, USA.[1]

Discovery

Rugocaudia is known only from the holotype MOR 334, a partial postcranial skeleton which consist of 18 caudal vertebrae and associated material including isolated neural arch, tooth, chevron, and distal section of a metacarpal. It was collected from the Cloverly Formation, dating to the Aptian or the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous.[1]

Validity

"Rugocaudia" was shown to be a nomen dubium by D'Emic and Foreman (2012). http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2012.671204#preview

Etymology

Rugocaudia was first described and named by D. Cary Woodruff in 2012 and the type species is Rugocaudia cooneyi. The generic name is deriverd from Latin ruga, "wrinkle" and cauda, "tail" in regards to the highly rugose posterior margins of the caudal vertebrae. The specific name honors the land owner J.P. Cooney.[1]

References

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