New Russian dinosaur Sibirotitan: SPbU
Paleontologists from SPbU and Tomsk University have described newly-discovered species of the ancient pangolins that inhabited the Earth 120 mln years ago. It is the second sauropod that has a scientific name in Russia and one of the most ancient Titanosaurus found in Asia. It is called Sibirotitan astrosacralis for its big size and bone structure.
Sibirotitan is a member of the group of sauropods that are giant dinosaurs. It was not the largest animal in the group, as the researcher say: it has a massive long tail, a long neck, its body weight was approximately 10 tones, and it was about 12 metres in length. It had a herbivorous diet and, as it was marked by large size, was rarely hunt by predators.
The scientists described a newly-discovered species by using its teeth, spine, and sacrum that is about 50 cm in length. They were found in Shestakovo Village in Kemerovo district where there is one of the most famous formations where the dinosaurs are found in Russia. To collect the remains, the paleontologists had to literally knocked them out of the solid sandstone in Shestakovo dene near the Kiya River. The challenge was that the necessary geological horizon was in the middle of the cliff. It made the scientists work with the climbing equipment at the height of approximately 4 metres.
The fact that they managed to find large bones, especially sacrum, is evidently a sound reward for paleontologists. Yet it gives way to figuring out how to deliver it to the laboratory. We had to carry the sacrum in a group of four. First we managed to carry it to the boat and then to our car.
SPbU Associate Professor, expert in Mesozoic Vertebrates Pavel Skuchas
Apart from Pavel Skuchas, the research group comprises Aleksandr Avarianov, SPbU Professor and head of the Laboratory of Theriology of the Zoological Institute of the RAS; Sergei Leshchinskii, head of the Laboratory of Continent Ecosystems of the Mesozoic Era and Cenozoic Era of Tomsk University; Stepan Ivantsov, research associate of the Laboratory of Continent Ecosystems of the Mesozoic Era and Cenozoic Era of Tomsk University; and Aleksei Faingerts, member of the Laboratory of Micropaleontology of Tomsk University.
Today, the fossils are kept in Tomsk University, with the famous sacrum exhibiting in the university hall where anyone can see the ancient remains. If you look closer, you can notice that the ribs radiate from the sacrum in a star-like way. The specific name S. astrosacralis is derived from the Greek ἄστρον, meaning “star”, and Latin os sacrum, meaning “sacred bone”. The scientists jokingly call it “star-sacrum”.