Saltasaurus loricatus

Saltasaurus loricatus was a relatively small, robust saltasaurid titanosaur from the latest Cretaceous of northwestern Argentina. More than two hundred catalogued bones from several individuals document much of the skeleton, although the holotype itself is a sacrum joined to both ilia. Saltasaurus became scientifically important because osteoderms were recovered with its skeletons, providing the first unambiguous evidence that sauropod dinosaurs could possess bony armour in their skin.

Its fossils occur between approximately 72 and 69 million years ago. Values shown here are approximate and reflect the current curated seed dataset.

Saltasaurus had a broad body, columnar limbs, a long neck and a comparatively short, deep trunk for a sauropod. Its vertebrae were extensively hollowed by air spaces, reducing skeletal weight. The skin included relatively large bony plates as well as numerous small ossicles. Histology shows that these osteoderms formed mainly through direct mineralisation within the dermis. The exact distribution and external horny covering of the armour are not preserved, so a perfectly regular row of large scutes should not be treated as certain.

• Large bony dermal plates associated with the skeletons
• Numerous smaller ossicles embedded in the skin
• Broad, robust trunk on columnar limbs
• Strongly pneumatic neck and back vertebrae
• Derived saltasaurid pelvis and shortened proportions

José Bonaparte's team excavated a rich assemblage at Estancia El Brete in Salta Province between 1975 and 1977. Bonaparte and Jaime Powell named Saltasaurus loricatus in 1980. The holotype PVL 4017-92 consists of a sacrum connected to two ilia, while more than two hundred additional elements catalogued under PVL 4017 represent at least five individuals. The material belongs to the vertebrate-palaeontology collection of the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and Instituto Miguel Lillo.

Naming authors: José F. Bonaparte, Jaime E. Powell.

The Lecho Formation at El Brete records continental river and floodplain environments in northwestern Argentina near the end of the Cretaceous. The site produced a mixed vertebrate assemblage including the small theropod Noasaurus and early birds. Specific plant communities and seasonal movements of Saltasaurus are not directly preserved.

Saltasaurus was a large-bodied plant eater that probably cropped vegetation with its small head and swallowed food with limited oral processing. Its osteoderms may have contributed to protection, display, mineral storage or several functions, but their exact biological role remains debated. Multiple individuals at El Brete document a population, not necessarily a herd killed together.

• Its fossils supplied the first unambiguous proof of armour in a sauropod.
• The dermal armour included both sizeable plates and many small ossicles.
• At roughly seven metres, it was compact compared with giant titanosaurs such as Argentinosaurus.
• Its species name loricatus refers to being protected by armour.

A research repository is not necessarily a public exhibit. Loan and display status can change, so check with the institution before visiting.

1. 01
   A continental assemblage of tetrapods from the Upper Cretaceous beds of El Brete, northwestern Argentina (Sauropoda–Coelurosauria–Carnosauria–Aves)

   José F. Bonaparte, Jaime E. Powell · Mémoires de la Société Géologique de France, Nouvelle Série 139, 19–28 · 1980

   Open source
2. 02
   Dermal armor histology of Saltasaurus loricatus, an Upper Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur from Northwest Argentina

   Ignacio A. Cerda, Jaime E. Powell · Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 55(3), 389–398 · 2010

   Open source
3. 03
   Saltasaurus

   Natural History Museum, London

   Open source