Paleontologists Discover Oldest Known Titanosaur | Paleontology - Sci-News.com

Ninjatitan zapatai lived approximately 140 million years ago (Early Cretaceous epoch) in what is now Patagonia, Argentina.

Ninjatitan zapatai belongs to Titanosauria, a diverse group of sauropod (long-necked plant-eating) dinosaurs.

“The main importance of Ninjatitan zapatai, beyond the fact that it is a new species of titanosaur, is that it is the earliest record worldwide for this group,” Dr.

“The presence of a basal titanosaurian sauropod in the lowermost Cretaceous of Patagonia supports the hypothesis that the group was established in the southern hemisphere and reinforces the idea of a Gondwanan origin for Titanosauria,” the researchers said.