Sauropodomorpha Huene 1932 is one of the most successful groups of dinosaurs, including the most abundant and diverse herbivorous forms with a worldwide record, extending from the late Triassic to the late Cretaceous. Sauropodomorphs comprise a diverse assemblage of early forms (traditionally called "prosauropods") and the well-established clade Sauropoda Marsh 1878. Early sauropodomorphs were small to medium sized forms, with long necks and reduced skulls, mostly bipeds and omnivores and were abundant in continental environments in the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. With more than 150 valid species and a worldwide distribution, Sauropoda includes the dominant herbivorous dinosaurs, from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. Its unique body plan, characterized by gigantic size, graviportal locomotion, long necks and tails, and reduced skulls, made this group an undisputed icon in popular culture since the 19th century. In South America, the sauropodomorph record is particularly rich and abundant, and many species have shed light to understand important milestones in the evolutionary history of this group of dinosaurs. The origin of Sauropodomorpha, the transition to Sauropoda, and the diversification of its most successful evolutionary lineages are largely exemplified by the South American fossil record. In this contribution, we synthetize the diversity of sauropodomorphs from South America, including data on their geographic and stratigraphic provenance, phylogenetics, paleobiology, taphonomy and behaviour, underscoring their significance within the context of sauropodomorph evolution.

Inhalt

PREFACE

Otero, Carballido, Pol

CHAPTER 1

The early radiation of sauropodomorphs in the Carnian of South America

Langer, Apaldetti, Bronzati, Ezcurra, Marzola and Müller

CHAPTER 2

Non-sauropodiform plateosaurians: between biped gracile and robust quadrupedal

Otero

CHAPTER 3 Non-gravisaurian Sauropodiformes of South America: early trends towards gigantism

Apaldetti and Martínez

CHAPTER 4

Gravisaurian sauropods from the late Early Jurassic from South America and the radiation of Eusauropoda

Pol, Gómez, Holwerda, Rauhut and Carballido

CHAPTER 5

Highly specialized diplodocoids: the Rebbachisauridae

Salgado, Gallina and Lerzo

CHAPTER 6

Whiplash tails and spiny backs in southwestern Gondwana: flagellicaudatans from South America

Gallina, Apesteguía, Carballido and Garderes

CHAPTER 7

The rise of non-titanosaur macronarians in South America

Carballido, Salgado and Bellardini

CHAPTER 8

Titanosauria: early diversification and systematics

Carballido, Otero and Mannion

CHAPTER 9

Time for giants: titanosaurs from the Aptian-Santonian age

Gallina, González Riga and Ortiz David

CHAPTER 10

Last titans: titanosaurs from the Campanian-Maastrichtian age

Rodrigo Santucci and Leonardo Filippi

CHAPTER 11

Eggs, nests and reproductive biology

Fernández, Vila and Moreno-Azanza

CHAPTER 12

Body size evolution and locomotion in Sauropodomorpha: what the South American record tells us

Otero and Hutchinson

CHAPTER 13

South American sauropodomorphs: what their bone histology has revealed to us?

Cerda

CHAPTER 14

Sauropod ichnology: overview and new research lines from a South American perspective

Calvo, González Riga, Apesteguía and Tomaselli

CHAPTER 15

Taphonomy: overview and new perspectives related with the paleobiology of giants

González Riga, Casal, Fiorillo and Ortiz David