My Prehistoric Saga: Dino Bios: Argentinosaurus.

Argentinosaurus (Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia):

Time: 113-86 million years ago, Albian-Coniacian of the late Cretaceous period.

Place: South America.

Size: 170 feet (51.8 meters).

Weight: 70-71 tons.

Diet: Herbivore.

Let's talk about Argentinosaurus!

Description:
Argentinosaurus lived during the Albian-Coniacian period, 113-86 million years ago, in South America. It was discovered in the Huincul Formation (Bonaparte and Coria, 1993, pg. 3), and possibly the Candeleros Formation (Calvo, 1999, pg. 26). Microflora collected in the Huincul Formation by Vallati (2001) ("Abstract") (List of Microflora), Vallati (2006) ("Abstract"), Musacchio and Vallati (2007) ("Introduction"), and Vallati (2013) ("Paleotropical representatives in Northern Patagonia" 1-1.2, "Conclusions"), date to the Albian-Cenomanian. A list of microflora from Vallati (2013):

Elateroplicites africaensis, Galeacornea, Fraxinoipollenites fragilis, and Cretacaeiporites scabratus, are all Albian in age (at best) (pg. 275-278) (Laboratory of Paleobotany, "Elateroplicites africaensis") (Fossilworks, "Elateroplicites africaensis") (Fossilworks, "Galeacornea") (Fossilworks,

"Fraxinoipollenites fragilis") (Laboratory of Paleobotany, "Fraxinoipollenites fragilis") (Laboratory of Paleobotany, "Cretacaeiporites scabratus") (Fossilworks, "Cretacaeiporites scabratus"), but

Elateroplicites africaensis also extends to the Campanian (Fossilworks, "Elateroplicites africaensis"), and Galeacornea and Cretacaeiporites scabratus extend to the Coniacian (Fossilworks, "Galeacornea")

(Fossilworks, "Cretacaeiporites scabratus"). Equisetosporites cf. evidens comes from the Cenomanian

(Fossilworks, "Equisetosporites evidens"). Corbella et al., (2004) give a radiometric age of 88 million years for the Huincul Formation, based on a fission-track analysis ("Abstract," "Characteristics and radiometric age of the tuff bed" pg. 229). The formation has also been given a date of 93-91 million years old (Garrido, 2010, pg. 138). This is the Turonian period. Therefore, the Huincul Formation is Albian-Coniacian in age.

The specimen MUCPv-251 was discovered in the Candeleros Formation (Calvo, 1999, pg. 26) Palynomorphs and calcareous microfossils can help prove how old a formation, or member of a formation, is (Turner and Peterson, 1999, pg. 89-90) (Marjanovic and Laurin, 2014, pg. 2) (Dinosaur National Monument, "Rhadinosteus parvus"). Avitabatrachus, a prehistoric frog (microfossil), was discovered in the Candeleros Formation. It has been dated from the Albian (Baez et al., 2000, pg. 491, "Geological Setting") to the Cenomanian (David Cannatella, 2015, "Temporal Data: Ages of Fossils and Calibration Priors," p. 20). U-Pb dating from Tunik et al., (2010) give an age of 104-88 million years for the Candeleros Formation (pg. 270-271). U-Pb dating from Di Giullo et al., (2012) give 102-100 million years (pg. 600 "Results"). The formation has also been dated to being 97-94 million years old (Garrido, 2010, pg. 134) (Halupczok et al., 2017, "Geological setting" pg. 2). This is Cenomanian in age. Therefore, the Candeleros Formation is Albian-Coniacian in age.

Argentinosaurus was 170 feet long (51.8 meters). The specimens PVPH-1 (holotype), and
MLP-DP 46-VIII-21-3, were both 170 feet long (51.8 meters). The possible (?)Argentinosaurus specimen MUCPv-251 is 181 feet long (55.0 meters). MUCPv-251 is described as an unknown sauropod (Calvo, 1999, pg. 26), but the size of the bones seems to suggest that it was a titanosaur. In fact, Calvo (1999) thinks that the specimen might be related to Argentinosaurus. Since Argentinosaurus is the largest titanosaur from South America, and MUCPv-251 seems to have been larger than the other two specimens of Argentinosaurus, it's extremely possible that MUCPv-251 is Argentinosaurus. Another titanosaur, catalogued as MOZ Pv 1221, was discovered in the Candeleros Formation in 2021. It's 170 feet long (51.7 meters), which is basically the same size as the two Argentinosaurus specimens. Given it's size, it could be Argentinosaurus, but both MOZ and the two Argentinosaurus specimens are too fragmentary to tell for sure.

Otero et al., (2021) on whether or not MOZ Pv 1221 is Argentinosaurus or not ("Discussion" para. 4):

There might be hope yet that MOZ is Argentinosaurus, and that Argentinosaurus coexisted with Giganotosaurus. However, that question will have to remain open.

Mazzetta et al., (2004) gave Argentinosaurus a mass of 71 tons (pg. 7). Paul (2019) gave is 70 (pg. 339 Table 1).

On October 10, 2019, it was announced that sauropod dinosaurs would have had rhamphotheca, or a beak-like structure made of keratin. This beak would have protected the sauropod's teeth and kept them in place, since fossilized sauropod teeth are usually found in good condition and connected to their skulls (John Pickrell, 10/10/19) (Pickrell, 10/17/19). Interestingly, dinosaurs couldn't move their tongues (Mindy Weisberger, 2018) (ScienceDaily, 2018).

Friends:
Argentinosaurus coexisted with the rebbachisaurs Limaysaurus (57-63 feet; 17.4-19.1 meters) and Cathartesaura (55 feet; 16.7 meters), the titanosaurs Andesaurus (52 feet; 15.7 meters), MMCH-Pv 47 (71 feet; 21.7 meters), Patagotitan (78-79 feet; 23.9-24.1 meters), and Puertasaurus (74-81 feet; 22.4-24.8 meters). Other animals on the menu were the ornithopods Anabisetia, Talenkauen, and Macrogryphosaurus.

Predators:
Argentinosaurus' enemies consisted of Giganotosaurus (36-50 feet; 10.9-15.3 meters), the abelisaurs Ekrixinatosaurus (24 feet; 7.2 meters) and Skorpiovenator (15 feet; 4.5 meters), the dromeosaurs Buitreraptor (4 feet; 1.3 meters) and Unenlagia (8-9 feet; 2.3-2.8 meters), the neovenatorid Gualicho (24 feet; 7.2 meters), and perhaps Spinosaurus (27-55 feet; 8.1-16.8 meters). However, Spinosaurus would have preferred rivers and fish (Kristen Rogers, 2020, "Competing for food," p. 1).

Mapusaurus vs. Argentinosaurus (Planet Dinosaur):

Links:
Original Paper:
Bonaparte and Coria (1993):
http://paleoglot.org/files/Bonaparte&Coria_93.pdf
Spanish:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281378504_A_new_and_huge_titanosaur_sauropod_from_Rio_Limay_Formation_Albian-Cenomanian_of_Neuquen_Province_Argentina
Time:
Huincul Formation:
Vallati (2001) ("Abstract"):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241723727_Middle_Cretaceous_microflora_from_the_Huincul_Formation_Dinosaurian_Beds_in_the_Neuquen_Basin_Patagonia_Argentina
List of Microflora:
https://paleobotany.ru/palynodata/publication/21442?dir=asc&order=NameSp&page=1
Vallati (2006) ("Abstract"):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240841718_Las_primeras_angiospermas_en_el_Cretacico_de_la_Cuenca_Neuquina_centro_oeste_de_Argentina_Aspectos_geologicos_relacionados
Musacchio and Vallati (2007) ("Introduction"):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267692115_Late_Cretaceous_non_marine_microfossils_of_the_Plottier_Formation_Cretaceous_at_Zampal_Argentina
Link 2:
https://www.academia.edu/7770746/LATE_CRETACEOUS_NON_MARINE_MICROFOSSILS_OF_THE_PLOTTIER_FORMATION_CRETACEOUS_AT_ZAMPAL_ARGENTINA._E._Musacchio_and_P._Vallati_2007
Vallati (2013) (Pg. 275-278) ("Paleotropical representatives in Northern Patagonia" 1-1.2, "Conclusions"):
http://paleopolis.rediris.es/cg/CG2013_L05/
Link 2:

http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/handle/2042/51218/CG2013_L05.pdf?sequence=1

Elateroplicites africaensis:

Laboratory of Paleobotany. "Elateroplicites africaensis." (Definitely Albian [7], but up to Cenomanian [4], and Turonian [2]):

https://paleobotany.ru/palynodata/species/91930

Fossilworks. "Elateroplicites africaensis." (Albian-Campanian):

http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=252717

Galeacornea:

Fossilworks. "Galeacornea" (Albian-Coniacian):

http://fossilworks.org/?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=252563

Fraxinoipollenites fragilis:

Fossilworks. "Fraxinoipollenites fragilis." (Albian-Cenomanian):

http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=276463

Laboratory of Paleobotany. "Fraxinoipollenites fragilis." (Albian-Cenomanian for all of South America):
https://paleobotany.ru/palynodata/species/23110

Cretacaeiporites scabratus:

Laboratory of Paleobotany. "Cretacaeiporites scabratus." (Definitely Albian [6], but up to Cenomanian at most [3]):

https://paleobotany.ru/palynodata/species/51473

Fossilworks. "Cretacaeiporites scabratus." (Albian-Coniacian):
http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=276456
Equisetosporites cf. evidens:

Fossilworks. "Equisetosporites evidens." (Cenomanian):

http://fossilworks.org/?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=276460