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Argentina's CONICET Describes New Titanosaur 'Yeneen houssayi' From Neuquén

Peer-reviewed analysis of distinctive vertebrae refines views of Patagonian titanosaur diversity.

Overview

  • The species, dated to about 83 million years ago, is published in Historical Biology and adds to Late Cretaceous records from Patagonia.
  • The holotype preserves six cervical vertebrae, ten dorsals with associated ribs, the sacrum, and the first caudal vertebra.
  • Researchers diagnose the taxon based on unique features in the dorsal vertebrae, sacrum, and first caudal element.
  • The name Yeneen honors Aónikenk language roots linked to La Invernada, while houssayi recognizes Nobel laureate and former CONICET leader Bernardo Houssay.
  • Fieldwork traces back to a 2003 report, with excavations in 2013–2014, and additional finds include a juvenile and a third, anatomically distinct specimen now under study.