Atoxatitan

Skeletal display of Atoxatitan at the Vostroyan National Museum, USSE

Artist's reconsruction of what Atoxatitan may have appeared like in life. (Credits to Mrmagikarp2 on Twitter)

## Information

### Size

20~ meters in length

***Atoxatitan agyrtis*** (meaning "impostor titan of Atoxa" in Old Viodoxan) was a typical moderately-sized herbivorous Kolonopod dinosaur from the middle Qalmanian period. The type species and only known species, agyrtis, is known from the Kestchyan Beds near the Felsigmonto Mountains in Atoxa within the USSE.

At its discovery, it was the first Kolonopod ever discovered and was promptly one of the largest dinosaurs ever found, but larger dinosaurs within the same clade have since been discovered such as *Ashuratitan* from Aurlûnor. The most complete specimen *(and only specimen)* measured to be around 16 meters in length, however some paleontologists believe this to have had been a subadult specimen do to the interior bone marrow of a femur from the specimen and therefore estimate the peak length at being around 20 meters.

## Description

#### Discovery

The remains of *Atoxatitan* were first discovered in a fossil deposit known as the Kestchyan Beds within the State of Atoxa in the USSE. The bones were apparently found by sheep and goat herders before being sold on markets throughout Atoxa as "dragon bones". The deposit was located within the Felsigmonto Mountains near the small village of Kestchya for which the deposit receives its name. Initially, a series of neck vertebrae, section of hind leg, and a pubis bone were discovered being sold on markets.

Because of the chevrons on the tail of *Atoxatitan*, it was initially believed that the specimen was a marine reptile related to Marosaurids like Tlahatlsaurus. Upon further investigation of leg remains though, it was quickly determined though that this was a terrestrial dinosaur. The species name "*agyrtis*" is in reference to this fact, and the name of the clade, *Kolonopoda*, is in reference to the extremely unique leg and pedal anatomy. The genus itself was promptly named *Atoxatitan* in reference to its place of discovery.

After about a month of sitting on these findings from Atoxan markets, unsure what the creature may have looked like in life with such fragmentary findings, paleontologists returned to the Kestchyan Beds to the same spot *Atoxatitan* was reportedly discovered in and found that the bones most likely came from a very relatively complete specimen. The bones as a whole were than analyzed and during an extensive analysis, the published results were posted by the USSE Commission of Culture and the specimen was placed on display at the Vostroyan National Museum with sections where no fossils were found being replaced by a quartz and diorite mixture.

#### Neck Posture

Paleontologists from the USSE, upon analyzing the remains of *Atoxatitan*, were quite perplexed by the length of the animals neck and its functions. Upon the discovery of tail vertebrae though and the realization that this was a terrestrial dinosaur, it was determined that the neck would have been held in a mostly vertical position as the tail would have been relatively short in life meaning the center of balance would be best supported by a mostly vertical neck instead of a horizontal one.

#### Diet and Ecology

It is believed that Kolonopods as an entirety would have been entirely herbivorous, using their elongated necks to feed on vegetation using high browsing feeding strategies. Their size alone as adults would have made an "efficient defense on its own" as stated by paleontologists from the USSE. The Kestchyan Beds where the specimen was found is believed to have had been a seasonal floodplain with massive coniferous trees as have been interpreted from fossil records. While no other dinosaur has yet to be formally described from the Kestchyan beds, the location was also the site of the first fossilized egg, believed to be from a Venatopod do to its size and shape.