J512 - Top Rare fully Rooted cf Lapparentosaurus Titanosauriform / Basal Brachiosaurid Dinosaur Tooth - Middle Jurassic

Here we present a particularly rare specimen: a fully rooted tooth from a rather controversial dinosaur. Its tooth morphotype has been attributed to either a basal brachiosaurid or at least a titanosauriform. It is currently assigned the ID cf. Lapparentosaurus, although the debate is still ongoing within the scientific community.

Observations about the especimen: Fully rooted and completely natural. It only has one glued and filled fracture on the middle of the root.

Lapparentosaurus madagascariensis is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Madagascar, named in 1986 by José Bonaparte. It was a large, quadrupedal, long-necked dinosaur, estimated to be around 15 meters long, and its classification has shifted between a basal eusauropod and a brachiosaurid. 

Key Facts about Lapparentosaurus:

Discovery: Found in the Isalo III Formation in the Majunga Basin of Madagascar, initially assigned to Bothriospondylus.

Characteristics: It had a massive, barrel-shaped body, with thick limbs and a long neck for browsing foliage like conifers and cycads.

Classification: While early studies suggested a relationship to brachiosaurids, more recent studies suggest it is a basil eusauropod, possibly within the Cetiosauridae family.

Named After: The genus name honors French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent.

Fossils: Partial post-cranial remains representing multiple individuals of various sizes have been discovered.

Lapparentosaurus lived in a coastal environment during a, likely, rainy and warm period in the Middle Jurassic.

Link to: Very interesting paper about Madagascar middle Jurassic Sauropod teeth