The northernmost sauropod record in the Northern Hemisphere |
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| Authors: | Alexander O. Averianov Pavel P. Skutschas Rico Schellhorn Alexey V. Lopatin Petr N. Kolosov Veniamin V. Kolchanov Dmitry D. Vitenko Dmitry V. Grigoriev Thomas Martin |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, Saint Petersburg, 199034 Russia;2. Vertebrate Zoology Department, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, Saint Petersburg, 199034 Russia;3. Institute of Geoscienes, Section Palaeontology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany;4. Borissiak Palaeontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsouznaya ul. 123, Moscow, 117997 Russia;5. Institute of Diamond and Precious Metals Geology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Lenina 39, Yakutsk, 677980 Russia;6. Russian State Geological Prospecting University, Miklukho-Maklaya ul. 23, Moscow, 117997 Russia |
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| Abstract: | Isolated sauropod teeth from the Early Cretaceous Teete locality in Yakutia (Eastern Siberia, Russia) are the only evidence that sauropods lived in high latitudes (palaeolatitude estimate of N 62°) in the Northern Hemisphere. The spatulate broad tooth crowns of adult individuals lack marginal denticles while these are present in a juvenile tooth. The teeth have overlapping facets and likely belong to a basal macronarian. The juvenile tooth indicates that sauropods reproduced in high latitudes and possibly stayed there around the year. The Teete vertebrate assemblage comprises both endothermic, or presumably endothermic tetrapods (theropod dinosaurs, tritylodontids and mammals), and ectothermic tetrapods (salamanders, turtles, choristoderes and lizards), but no crocodyliforms. This suggests a temperate climate, with an annual mean temperature well above freezing level but below 14°C. |
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| Keywords: | Asia Cretaceous Dinosauria polar dinosaurs Sauropoda |
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