Tengrisaurus

Tengrisaurus (meaning "Tengri lizard") is a genus of lithostrotian sauropod, from the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian-Hauterivian^[1]) Murtoi Formation, Russia. It was described in 2017 by Averianov & Skutschas. The type species is T. starkovi.^[2] New remains were described in 2021 by Averianov, Sizov & Skutschas.^[3]

Tengrisaurus Temporal range: Valanginian-Hauterivian ~135–130 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†Macronaria
Clade:	†Titanosauria
Clade:	†Lithostrotia
Genus:	†Tengrisaurus Averianov & Skutschas, 2017
Type species
†Tengrisaurus starkovi Averianov & Skutschas, 2017

Description

Tengrisaurus starkovi is based on three caudal vertebrae. The genus is characterized by strongly procoelous anterior and middle caudal vertebrae, with strongly developed pre-epipophyses, highly pneumatic neural spine, and solid bone structure of the centrum.^[2]

Classification

Averianov and Efimov (2018) recovered Tengrisaurus as a lithostrotian titanosaur. They found Lithostrotia to be divided into two main lineages, one containing Saltasauridae, the other containing Lognkosauria, with Tengrisaurus belonging to the former. The following cladogram follows their analysis.^[4]

Lithostrotia	Malawisaurus Aeolosaurus Nemegtosaurus Rapetosaurus Tapuiasaurus Tengrisaurus Isisaurus Saltasauridae Pitekunsaurus Volgatitan Epachthosaurus Muyelensaurus Rinconsaurus Lognkosauria