Tapuiasaurus

Tapuiasaurus is an Early Cretaceous titanosaurian sauropod discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil, within the lake deposits of the Quiricó Formation. Most titanosaurs are known from limb and trunk bones because their delicate, lightly constructed skulls rarely fossilised. In contrast, the holotype of Tapuiasaurus includes a virtually complete, articulated cranium alongside partial postcranial elements. Its elongated, tapering snout and cylindrical teeth demonstrate that advanced skull specialisations previously seen only in Late Cretaceous nemegtosaurids had evolved tens of millions of years earlier. Reaching an estimated length of around thirteen metres, Tapuiasaurus was moderate in stature. It lived in a semi-arid basin environment bordered by shallow lacustrine habitats, feeding on tough foliage with its specialised raking bite. Its discovery transformed scientific understanding of cranial evolution across early titanosaur lineages.

It preserves one of the most complete skulls known for any Early Cretaceous titanosaur.

Where and when

Tapuiasaurus lived in the Early Cretaceous, from 125 to 113 million years ago (Aptian age). Its remains come from Brazil, in the Quiricó Formation.

The numbers

Length 13 m (estimates run from 12 to 14 m). Mass about 8.4 t. Hip height about 2.8 m. That is 7.6 human-lengths, or 1.16 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

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