Malawisaurus
Malawisaurus (meaning "Malawi lizard") was a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur. It lived in what is now Malawi and possibly Brazil, during the Barremian-Cenomanian ages of the Early-Late Cretaceous. It is one of the few titanosaurs for which skull material has been found. Discovery and naming. "Malawisaurus dixeyi" was originally described in 1928 by Sidney H. Haughton as a species of "Gigantosaurus" (an invalid name for the diplodocid currently known as "Tornieria"). Haughton considered it closely related to the species "G. robustus" (later the type species of "Janenschia"). It was found in the "Dinosaur Beds" of Malawi , which are usually considered to be of Barremian-Aptian age based on K–Ar dating, though they have also been suggested to be Late Cretaceous in age based on the vertebrate assemblage, and possibly also the Lupata Group. In 1993 it was placed in the newly named genus "Malawisaurus" by Louis L. Jacobs and colleagues, based on newly collected material from the locality. The holotype is SAM 7405, a partial skeleton and its type locality is Mwakasyunguti. "Malawisaurus" is not known outside of Africa - however, an isolated tooth resembles those associated with "Malawisaurus" and was found in the Late Cretaceous  (Cenomanian)-aged Alcântara Formation of Brazil according to a report in 2007. Description. Relatively small by sauropod standards, "Malawisaurus" reached lengths of about , and weighed about . In 2020 it was given a smaller estimation of 11 meters (36 ft) and 2.8 tonnes (3.1 short tons). Like some other titanosaurs, ossicles have been found which are believed to represent dermal scutes that covered the skin. The vertebrae from the middle part of its tail had elongated centra. "Malawisaurus" had vertebral lateral fossae that resembled shallow depressions. Fossae that similarly resemble shallow depressions are known from "Saltasaurus", "Alamosaurus", "Aeolosaurus", and "Gondwanatitan". Classification. By  definition, "Malawisaurus" has to be the most basal lithostrotian. The cladogram below follows Franca "et al." (2016).