Exciting discoveries emerge from east China's Jiangxi Province as paleontologists unveil a new dinosaur species, Gandititan cavocaudatus. Found in June 2021 at a construction site in Ganxian District, Ganzhou, the fossil bones date back 90 million years to the Cretaceous period.
Wang Lingyun, deputy curator of the Jiangxi Geological Museum, revealed that the museum collaborated with the China University of Geosciences (CUG) in Wuhan and the Jiangxi Geological Survey and Exploration Institute to restore and study the remarkable find. Han Fenglu, team leader from CUG, described the species as a new titanosaurian sauropod, part of the giant Titanosauria family.
The discovery is extraordinary, with the bones comprising about 40 percent of the dinosaur's skeleton—an exceptional level of preservation. Among the findings are six articulated cervical vertebrae, two partial dorsal vertebrae, a complete sacrum, and parts of the tail and right pelvis. This well-preserved vertebral column has allowed scientists to estimate the dinosaur's length at 14 meters, making it relatively small for a sauropod.
Published on January 17 in the latest Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, this discovery offers significant insights into the evolution and paleogeographic distribution of Titanosauria during the Cretaceous period. Gandititan cavocaudatus not only enriches our understanding of prehistoric life but also highlights the importance of ongoing paleontological research in uncovering the secrets of Earth's distant past.
Reference(s):
Ancient fossils in China belong to new dinosaur species: experts
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