Galvesaurus facts for kids

Galvesaurus, or Galveosaurus, (meaning "Galve lizard") is a genus of brachiosaurid sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period. Fossils of the only known species, G. herreroi, were found in Galve, Spain, hence its generic name, "Galve lizard". The specific name G. herreroi honours the discoverer, José María Herrero.

Phylogeny

While Royo-Torres et al. (2006) grouped Galvesaurus within Turiasauria alongside Losillasaurus and Turiasaurus, Barco & Canudo (2012) noted that Galvesaurus lacks turiasaurian synapomorphies and found that it was actually a macronarian. New material described in 2019 reveals Galvesaurus to be a brachiosaurid.

History

During the 1980s, a fossil site known as Cuesta Lonsal, in the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian Villar del Arzobispo Formation near Galve (Teruel), Spain, was excavated by local amateur fossil hunter José María Herrero after he found the fossilized remains of a sauropod dinosaur. Zaragoza University and the Government of Aragón commissioned members of a scientific research team known as "Aragosaurus" to investigate the site in 1987. They determined that the site would be an important one for paleontological research, and after obtaining the necessary permits, they began their own dig there in 1993. Between 1993 and 2002, they obtained more than 50 bones associated with a new sauropod species. Also during that time, various team members published scientific reports on the bones they were recovering and on the site itself, though they refrained from publishing a formal name for the new dinosaur due to the fact the fossils were still undergoing preparation. As the bones were prepared and studied, the team transferred them to the small Spanish Paleontological Museum of Galve for display.

See also

In Spanish: Galvesaurus herreroi para niños