The first specimen of Camarasaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from Montana: The northernmost occurrence of the genus

PLoS One. 2017 May 31;12(5):e0177423. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177423. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

A partial skeleton from the Little Snowy Mountains of central Montana is the first referable specimen of the Morrison Formation macronarian sauropod Camarasaurus. This specimen also represents the northernmost occurrence of a sauropod in the Morrison. Histological study indicates that, although the specimen is relatively small statured, it is skeletally mature; this further emphasizes that size is not a undeviating proxy to maturity in dinosaurs, and that morphologies associated with an individual's age and stature may be more nebulous in sauropods.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dinosaurs / classification*
  • Fossils*
  • Montana
  • Paleontology
  • Skull / anatomy & histology

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.