Tekotitaan

Tekotitaan is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period, specifically the Santonian and Campanian stages, found in the province of Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina. The genus name "Tekotitaan" is derived from the Mapuche word "tekó" meaning "spirit" or "ancestor" and the Greek word "titan," referring to its immense size. The species name, Tekotitaan lusatoi, honors the collector of the fossils, David Lusato.

Fossils of Tekotitaan lusatoi were discovered in the Allen Formation. This dinosaur is known from a partial skeleton, including vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones. Based on the recovered remains, Tekotitaan is estimated to have been a large sauropod, though its exact size is subject to ongoing study. As a titanosaur, it would have possessed a long neck and tail, a massive body, and a quadrupedal stance. Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropods that were particularly prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous.

Tekotitaan lived in an environment that was likely a floodplain or coastal plain, shared with other dinosaurs and prehistoric life. Its herbivorous diet would have consisted of vegetation, which it would have processed with its relatively simple, peg-like teeth. The discovery of Tekotitaan adds to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of sauropod dinosaurs in South America during the Late Cretaceous, a period of significant evolutionary radiation for these long-necked herbivores. Further discoveries are needed to fully understand the paleobiology and phylogenetic relationships of this Patagonian titanosaur.