A scientific paper was published earlier this week that announced two new Hateg Basin sauropod taxa.  These dinosaurs were named Petrustitan hungaricus and Uriash kadici.  At least four sauropod taxa are known from the Hateg Basin.  However, as the sediments in this region cover several million years, it is likely that these four taxa were not contemporaneous.  It is also likely that additional sauropod genera are represented in the fossil deposits.

To read Everything Dinosaur’s earlier blog post about this new study: New Hateg Basin Sauropods are Described.

We have been asked to provide a little more information on the largest of these four sauropod taxa. As this area consisted of a series of large islands at the end of the Cretaceous, it was thought that the dinosaur fauna in this region consisted mostly of dwarf forms.  However, this idea of the Hateg Basin dinosaur fauna representing examples of “island dwarfism” has been challenged.  For example, the newly described U. kadici is thought to amongst the biggest European Late Cretaceous sauropods know to science.

The Hateg Basin Sauropod Fauna – A Complex Picture

The first sauropod to be named and described from this region of western Romania was Magyarosaurus. The German palaeontologist Friedrich von Huene erected this genus in 1932.  He assigned three species to this genus.

1. Magyarosaurus dacus – now recognised as the only valid species.
2. The nomen dubium Magyarosaurus transsylvanicus – a nomen dubium with assigned fossil material thought to represent more than one species of sauropod.
3. Magyarosaurus hungaricus – renamed in 2025 as Petrustitan hungaricus (Verónica Díez Díaz et al).

It is likely that the substantial number of fossils, often isolated and fragmentary remains found in western Romania represent several more, as yet undescribed sauropod taxa.

The Wild Past Magyarosaurus dinosaur model, a replica of this dwarf titanosaur taxon. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture shows a model of the dwarf titanosaur Magyarosaurus sent to Everything Dinosaur by Wild Past.

To view the range of Wild Past models and figures in stock: Wild Past Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Uriash kadici – A Giant Amongst Hateg Basin Sauropods

The second, newly described Hateg Basin sauropod is an outlier in terms of size.  Whilst three of the four Hateg Basin sauropod taxa described to date were relatively small, Uriash kadici was much larger. Size estimates vary but it could have had a body length of around twelve metres.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur explained that three of the four known Hateg Basin sauropod taxa were relatively small.  Although size estimates vary, it is possible to compare these four taxa and to produce a scale drawing.

• Magyarosaurus dacus – 3 metres (<1 tonne).
• Paludititan nalatzensis – 6 metres (2 tonnes).
• Petrustitan hungaricus – 6-7 metres (2 tonnes+).
• Uriash kadici – 12 metres (5-8 tonnes).

Comparing the size of Hateg Island sauropods. Uriash kadici is the biggest taxon described to date. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur from Brian Cooley/Dan Horatiu Popa/Hateg County UNESCO Global Geopark.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur from Brian Cooley/Dan Horatiu Popa/Hateg County UNESCO Global Geopark

Uriash kadici is the largest titanosaurian taxon described to date from the Hateg Basin.  It is larger than most of the other Late Cretaceous European titanosaurs.  Its size is only surpassed by Abditosaurus (A. kuehnei).  Abditosaurus fossils come from southern Pyrenees of Spain.  It was formally described in 2022 (Vila et al).  Abditosaurus is thought to have measured around seventeen metres long.

To read a blog post about this dinosaur: Abditosaurus – The First New Dinosaur of 2022.

What’s in a Name?

The genus name comes from the Romanian word ‘uriaș’ (pronounced ‘uriash’). It refers to gigantic humanoid characters from Romanian folklore. The species name honours Ottokár Kadić (1876–1957), a geologist and palaeontologist of the Royal Geological Survey of Hungary and discoverer of several continental vertebrate-bearing fossil localities in the north-western Hateg Basin, including the type locality of Uriash.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur explained that the recent study focusing on the Hateg Basin sauropods had expanded knowledge about European titanosaurs.  However, much remains to be discovered.  New fossil quarries will be opened, and new material will help to fill in the gaps and provide palaeontologists with a better understanding of Late Cretaceous sauropod evolution.

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Two new species of Hateg Basin sauropods have been identified.  Their fossils come from the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the Hateg Basin in western Romania.  The discovery of these new taxa can help palaeontologists to better understand dinosaur populations across the planet prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction event. The study led by Verónica Díez Díaz from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Germany) demonstrates how important Europe’s fossils are when it comes to providing a more complete picture of dinosaur extinction.

Scientists from the University College London and the University of Bucharest collaborated in this research.

Hateg Basin Sauropods

The researchers report two new sauropod taxa from the Hateg Basin.  They have been named Petrustitan hungaricus and Uriash kadici. During the Late Cretaceous, much of the Europe was covered by water. However, an archipelago existed in what is known today as eastern Europe. The largest island (Hateg Island) was approximately 120 miles (200 km) from the nearest landmass. Size estimates vary, but it has been suggested that by the very end of the Cretaceous (Maastrichtian faunal stage), Hateg Island covered an area of around thirty thousand square miles. It was roughly the size of the Japanese island Hokkaido.

The archipelago was home to several different sauropod taxa.  The diversity of sauropods in the Late Cretaceous of Europe is much greater than previously thought.  Fifteen years ago, only five sauropod species were known from the Late Cretaceous of Europe.  Today, at least eleven taxa have been identified.  In contrast, only a single sauropod species is known from the Late Cretaceous of America (Alamosaurus sanjuanensis).

Commenting on the significance of this new study into Hateg Basin sauropods, corresponding author Verónica Díez Díaz (Museum für Naturkunde Berlin) stated:

“The extraordinary diversity in a small geographical area like Hațeg Island surprises us. Sauropods of different sizes lived side by side here: from giants over 10 metres long and weighing eight tonnes to dwarfs of just 2.5 metres and weighing less than a tonne. This provides exciting insights into the environmental conditions and the coexistence of different species.”

The researchers propose the presence of three additional, but only partly contemporaneous taxa in the Hateg Basin. These are Paludititan nalatzensis, Petrustitan (‘Magyarosaurus’) hungaricus and the much larger Uriash kadici. U. kadici is amongst the biggest known sauropods of the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago. Picture credit: Brian Cooley/Dan Horatiu Popa/Hațeg County UNESCO Global Geopark.

Picture credit: Brian Cooley/Dan Horatiu Popa/Hațeg County UNESCO Global Geopark

Giants and Dwarf Sauropods

Traditionally, the fauna of Hateg Island was thought to consist mainly of smaller relatives of dinosaur genera found on larger landmasses.  It had been assumed that the dinosaurs of Hateg Island became smaller due to the limited amount of resources on the island.  This biological phenomenon is known as island dwarfism (insular dwarfism).  This idea was postulated by the famous 20th Century polymath Baron Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás. He argued that the limited resources such as food, water and space on islands would result in a reduction of the size of animals that lived there. These island dwelling populations would become smaller over many generations when compared to their continental counterparts.

For example, the ornithopod Tethyshadros (T. insularis) was once thought to be a dwarf hadrosauroid.  However, subsequent analysis indicates that it was around twenty-five percent larger than previously thought.

To read more about this 2021 study: Sizing up Tethyshadros.

The biota of the Hateg Basin seems to be much more complicated and diverse.  For instance, whilst a number of Hateg Basin sauropods are relatively small, the newly described Uriash kadici may have been more than eleven metres in length.

Co-author Zoltán Csiki-Sava (University of Bucharest) added:

“Local evolution was more complex than expected and shows that not all species reduced their size.”

European Dinosaurs Linked to Gondwanan Lineages

This study also highlights the links between European dinosaur taxa and their relatives in Asia, Africa and South America.  The team’s findings strengthen the hypothesis that Late Cretaceous European titanosaurs belonged to Gondwanan lineages that invaded the former area during the Barremian–Albian faunal stages of the Early Cretaceous.  Paul Upchurch (University College London) explained that Gondwanan sauropods migrated into Europe over land bridges that existed in the Early Cretaceous.  However, sauropods were probably very capable swimmers and may have traversed distances in excess of three hundred miles (500 kilometres) to reach distant islands.

Co-author Philip Mannion (University College London) commented:

“Some of these dinosaurs were descendants of earlier faunas, while others arrived in the region late.”

Why were Large Hateg Island Sauropods Present?

The researchers interpret the presence of body-size disparity as either evidence that large-bodied taxa were ecologically excluded from body-size reduction by competition with small-bodied titanosaurs, or that dwarfing occurred stratigraphically earlier among several lineages and the small-bodied titanosaurs on Hațeg Island are the descendants of existing dwarfed ancestors. In addition, the team report that they found no indication of a body size-related titanosaurian turnover in the uppermost Cretaceous of the Transylvanian area.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Revision of Romanian sauropod dinosaurs reveals high titanosaur diversity and body-size disparity on the latest Cretaceous Haţeg Island, with implications for titanosaurian biogeography” by Verónica Díez Díaz, Philip D. Mannion, Zoltán Csiki-Sava and Paul Upchurch published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

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A new study suggests that pterosaur anatomy could inspire the next generation of aeroplanes.  The microarchitecture of fossilised pterosaur bones could hold the key to lighter, stronger materials that can be used to make new types of aircraft.  This is the remarkable conclusion made by scientists from the University of Manchester.  Advanced and extremely powerful X-ray imaging techniques were utilised to reveal a complex network of microscopic canals inside the preserved bones of ancient flying reptiles.  These structures make the bones exceptionally light but incredibly strong.  They are ideal material properties for use in the aviation industry.

Pterosaur anatomy could inspire the next generation of aeroplane designs according to a new study. Picture credit: Nathan Pili, The University of Manchester.

Picture credit: Nathan Pili, The University of Manchester

Examining Pterosaur Anatomy at the Microscopic Level

The researchers claim that these pterosaur adaptations could have the potential to start a “palaeo-biomimetics” revolution using the biological designs of prehistoric creatures to develop new materials for use in the aeronautics industry. The paper has been published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.

Lead author of the study, Nathan Pili, a PhD student at the University of Manchester commented:

“For centuries, engineers have looked to nature for inspiration, like how the burrs from plants led to the invention of Velcro. But we rarely look back to extinct species when seeking inspiration for new engineering development, but we should. We are so excited to find and map these microscopic interlocking structures in pterosaur bones, we hope one day we can use them to reduce the weight of aircraft materials, thereby reducing fuel consumption and potentially making planes safer.”

Pterosaurs first evolved in the Triassic. They were close relatives of the dinosaurs and members of the Archosauria clade. Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight. Whilst many Triassic and Jurassic taxa typically had wingspans of less than two metres, many Cretaceous pterosaurs were giants.

A model of the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus.

The picture (above) shows a replica of the giant azhdarchid pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus. The figure is from the Wild Safari Prehistoric World range.

To view this range of prehistoric animal figures: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures.

Quetzalcoatlus lived during the Late Cretaceous and it had a wingspan of around ten metres. This huge size meant that these reptiles had to solve multiple engineering challenges to get their enormous bodies airborne.  For example, their huge wing membrane was supported predominantly from a single, elongated finger.

X-ray Computed Tomography

The researchers used advanced X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) to scan the pterosaur anatomy at the molecular level.  The technique enabled the team to examine complex structures approximately twenty times smaller than the width of a human hair. Three-dimensional mapping of the internal structures permeating the wing bones of pterosaurs has never been achieved at these high resolutions (~0.002 mm).

The team discovered that the unique network of tiny canals and pores with the bones, once used for nutrient transfer, growth, and maintenance, also helped to protect against microfractures by deflecting cracks, serving both biological and mechanical functions. By replicating these natural designs, engineers could not only create lightweight, robust components but could also incorporate sensors and self-healing materials, opening up new possibilities for more complex and efficient aircraft designs.

The team propose that advancements in metal 3D printing could turn these ideas into reality.  Pterosaur anatomy could permit an exciting new avenue for further research.

Nathan Pilli added:

“This is an incredible field of research, especially when working at the microscopic scale. Of all the species that have ever lived, most are extinct, though many died out due to rapid environmental changes rather than ‘poor design’. These findings are pushing our team to generate even higher-resolution scans of additional extinct species. Who knows what hidden solutions we might find!”

Learning from Darwinian Natural Selection

Senior author of the study, Professor Phil Manning (University of Manchester), explained:

“There is over four billion years of experimental design that were a function of Darwinian natural selection. These natural solutions are beautifully reflected by the same iterative processes used by engineers to refine materials. It is highly likely that among the billions of permutations of life on Earth, unique engineering solutions have evolved but were lost to the sands of time. We hope to unlock the potential of ancient natural solutions to create new materials but also help build a more sustainable future. It is wonderful that life in the Jurassic might make flying in the 21st century more efficient and safer.”

We need to develop stronger, lighter and more fuel-efficient materials. Pterosaurs may hold the key to the future of powered flight.  By examining the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight we might be able to pave the way for a new generation of aviation technology.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Manchester in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Harnessing 3D microarchitecture of pterosaur bone using multi-scale X-ray CT for aerospace material design” published in Scientific Reports.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.