*** Welcome to piglix ***

Lithostrotia

Lithostrotians
Temporal range: Early to Late Cretaceous, 120–66 Ma
Saltasaurus dinosaur.png
Life restorations of a pair of Saltasaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Neosauropoda
Clade: Macronaria
Clade: Titanosauria
Clade: Lithostrotia
Upchurch et al., 2004
Subgroups

Malawisaurus
Rukwatitan
Austroposeidon
Diamantinasaurus
Xianshanosaurus
Dreadnoughtus

Elaltitan
Narambuenatitan
Sonidosaurus
Isisaurus
Antarctosaurus
Sarmientosaurus
Lognkosauria
Aeolosauridae
Nemegtosauridae
Saltasauridae


Malawisaurus
Rukwatitan
Austroposeidon
Diamantinasaurus
Xianshanosaurus
Dreadnoughtus

Elaltitan
Narambuenatitan
Sonidosaurus
Isisaurus
Antarctosaurus
Sarmientosaurus
Lognkosauria
Aeolosauridae
Nemegtosauridae
Saltasauridae

Lithostrotia is a clade of derived titanosaur sauropods that lived during the Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous. The group was defined by Unchurch et al. in 2004 as the most recent common ancestor of Malawisaurus and Saltasaurus and all the descendants of that ancestor. Lithostrotia is derived from the Ancient Greek lithostros, meaning "inlaid with stones", referring to the fact that many known lithostrotians are preserved with osteoderms. However, osteoderms are not a distinguishing feature of the group, as the two noted by Unchurch et al. include caudal vertebrae with strongly concave front faces (procoely), although the farthest vertebrae are not procoelous.


...
Wikipedia

...