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Arkharavia
Extinct genus of reptiles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Arkharavia (meaning "Arkhara road") is a dubious genus of somphospondylan sauropod, although at least some of its remains probably belong to a hadrosaurid.[1] It was discovered in the Udurchukan Formation in Russia and lived during the Late Cretaceous. It was described in 2010 by Alifanov and Bolotsky as the type species A. heterocoelica.
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Description
The holotype material consists of a single anterior caudal vertebra. Also, a tooth and a few proximal tail vertebrae (from near the base of the tail) were originally described as belonging to this species, but these probably belong to an indeterminate hadrosaur.[1][2] The vertebrae are unusual in being weakly heterocoelous,[3] which means that the centrum or body of a vertebra has saddle-shaped surfaces where it meets the vertebrae in front or behind it.
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Classification
Arkharavia was originally classified as a titanosauriform sauropod, thought to be related to Chubutisaurus, a sauropod from the Cretaceous of Argentina.[3] However, further study showed that the referred vertebra in fact belonged to a hadrosaurid.[2] The holotype vertebra is currently considered an indeterminate somphospondylan.[1]
Contemporaries
Arkharavia lived in the Amur Region, which was a 'hot spot' for dinosaurs in Russia. Other dinosaurs from the area include the lambeosaurines (hollow-crested duckbills) Amurosaurus, Olorotitan, and Charonosaurus, and the saurolophine (duckbills without hollow crests) Kerberosaurus and Wulagasaurus.[3]
See also
References
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