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CONICET Team Describes New Patagonian Titanosaur, Yeneen houssayi

The peer-reviewed description draws on unusually complete vertebrae that refine how scientists interpret Patagonian titanosaur diversity.

Overview

  • Published in January 2026 in Historical Biology, the study presents Yeneen houssayi from La Invernada in Neuquén and names it using a Tehuelche term alongside a tribute to Nobel laureate Bernardo Houssay.
  • The holotype preserves six cervical vertebrae, all ten dorsal vertebrae with associated ribs, the sacrum, and the first caudal vertebra, which carry the diagnostic features of the new species.
  • Researchers estimate a length of 10–12 meters and a mass of 8–10 tons, noting a proportionally small head typical of the animal’s sauropod lineage.
  • Beyond the main specimen, the team identified a juvenile individual and a third specimen with distinct anatomy that is being studied as a potential separate titanosaur.
  • The site was first reported in 2003 by Gendarmería; improved access enabled excavations in 2013–2014 and the fossils were prepared at the Museo Municipal Argentino Urquiza in Rincón de los Sauces.