Silutitan

Silutitan Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 120 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Skeletal diagram showing known material
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†Macronaria
Family:	†Euhelopodidae
Genus:	†Silutitan Wang et al., 2021
Type species
†Silutitan sinensis Wang et al., 2021

Silutitan (meaning "Silk Road giant") is a genus of euhelopodid sauropod dinosaur from the Shengjinkou Formation of Xinjiang, China. It contains only the type species, Silutitan sinensis.[1]

Discovery and naming

In 2006, a Konservat-Lagerstätte was reported from the Shengjinkou Formation in the Hami region of Xinjiang, China. This consisted of lake sediments allowing for exceptional preservation of fossils. The same year, Qiu Zhanxiang and Wang Banyue started official excavations.

Among the excavated fossils were six cervical vertebrae with all neural spines intact. In 2021, these were established as the holotype (IVPP V27874) of the new sauropod taxon, Silutitan. A Hamipterus jaw was found near the tenth cervical vertebra, but this is likely due to taphonomy. The generic name, refers to the Silk Road (Silu in Mandarin), while the specific name, sinensis, refers to China.[1]

Classification

The phylogenetic analysis of Wang et al. places Silutitan as the sister taxon to Euhelopus, a position that does not change when it is combined with the contemporary titanosaur Hamititan into a single unit.[1]

Euhelopodidae	Phuwiangosaurus Tangvayosaurus Qiaowanlong Huanghetitan ruyangensis Ruyangosaurus Yongjinglong Erketu Gobititan Euhelopus Silutitan

Paleobiology

Other animals from the holotype locality include the contemporary titanosaur Hamititan, which was described in the same paper, and the pterosaur Hamipterus. Together, Silutitan, the aforementioned fauna, and an unnamed theropod represent the known fossil vertebrate taxa of the area.[1]

References

1. Wang X, Bandeira KL, Qiu R, Jiang S, Cheng X, Ma Y, Kellner AW (2021). "The first dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous Hami Pterosaur Fauna, China". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): Article number 14962. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1114962W. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-94273-7. PMC 8361124. PMID 34385481.