COMPARISON OF THE AFRICAN TITANOSAURIAN, MALAWISAURUS, WITH A NORTH AMERICAN EARLY CRETACEOUS SAUROPOD

The Cretaceous African titanosaurian Malawisaurus and an Early Cretaceous sauropod from North America, previously attributed to the genus Pleurocoelus (and considered by some as a basal titanosaurian), are compared. The North American sauropod is more primitive than members of Titanosauria and Somphospondyli in lacking centra composed of spongy bone and in having well developed cervical neural arch laminae. It is a titanosauriform (and similar to Brachiosaurus) in having a medially deflected femur and dorsal ribs with pneumatic cavities. It has narrow, but still flattened teeth, and prespinal laminae that extend the entire height of the neural spine, conditions more derived than those in Brachiosaurus. This North American taxon either forms a clade with Brachiosauridae or is a sister taxon of Somphospondyli.