Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The horror of October. Vahiny

   Named from a partial braincase,‭ ‬Vahiny is the second genus of titanosaurid dinosaur to be discovered in the Maevarano Formation of Madagascar,‭ ‬with the first being Rapetosaurus.‭ ‬The titanosaur Rapetosaurus has attained almost legendary status since it was named due to the fact that it is the most complete titanosaur discovered and‭ ‬represented by fossils from numerous individuals.‭ ‬Though only named from a partial braincase,‭ ‬Vahiny has been clearly identified as being distinct from Rapetosaurus,‭ ‬and the hunt is now on for more Vahiny fossils,‭ ‬perhaps even among remains of‭ ‬Rapetosaurus.
       Vahiny would have lived amongst several notable dinosaur genera,‭ ‬and apart from Rapetosaurus,‭ ‬these include the dromaeosaurid Rahonavis,‭ ‬the noasaur‭ ‬Masiakasaurus and the abelisaur Majungsaurus,‭ ‬the latter of which may have been a predatory threat to both Vahiny and Rapetosaurus.

No comments: