A new titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Quseir Formation of the Kharga Oasis, Egypt

Dinosaur fossils from the latest Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) of Africa and Arabian Peninsula are rare. Most discoveries to date have consisted limited that precluded detailed phylogenetic paleobiogeographic interpretations. Fortunately, recent such as informative Egyptian titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur Mansourasaurus shahinae beginning address these long-standing issues. Here we describe an associated partial postcranial skeleton a new taxon Upper (Campanian) Quseir Formation Kharga Oasis, Western Desert Egypt. Consisting five dorsal vertebrae 12 appendicular elements, Igai semkhu gen. et sp. nov. constitutes one most dinosaurs yet recovered Afro-Arabia. The relatively gracile limb bones differences in coracoid metatarsal I preclude referral specimen Mansourasaurus. Both model-based Bayesian tip-dating parsimony-based analyses support affinities with other Late Afro-Eurasian titanosaurs (e.g., Mansourasaurus, Lirainosaurus astibiae, Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii), conclusion supported by posterior lack postzygodiapophyseal lamina, for example. strengthens hypothesis northern Eurasia shared closely related terrestrial tetrapod faunas at end further differentiates this fauna penecontemporaneous assemblages elsewhere Africa, Galula Tanzania, exhibit more traditional Gondwanan assemblages. At present, specific signal appears vary between different groups, suggesting Afro-Arabian biotas may experienced evolutionary histories were complex than previously appreciated.