Mierasaurus: New Sauropod from Utah tells a Unique Evolutionary Tale

[ZoPteryx]

Mierasaurus bobyoungi

A new largely complete sauropod, known from several non-adult individuals, from the Early Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah.  Phylogenetic analysis reveals this sauropod, and the recently named slightly younger Moabosaurus from the same region, to be late surviving members of the relatively primitive group known as turiasaurs.  These are the first turiasaurus known from North America and the first from the Cretaceous, as the group is otherwise only known from the Jurassic of Europe.  This indicates a land connection must have still occurred between the two continents during the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary.  Mierasaurus and Moabosaurus are the first non-neosauropod eusauropods known from North America.

The open-access paper:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-14677-2
Note the cladogram contains an error, Mierasaurus should be slightly older than Moabosaurus.

[Halichoeres]

Exciting to see such a well-preserved sauropod from the Cretaceous. Surprising that it would be a turiasaur!

[Neosodon]

Cool, another new local dinosaur species!