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Sidersaura

extinct genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaurs

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 24, 2026
Entity authorityQ124099993
Source-derived summary

Sidersaura (meaning "star lizard") is an extinct monotypic genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Huincul Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, S. marae, known from the remains of four individuals. Sidersaura represents one of the largest known rebbachisaurids.

Discovery and naming

The Sidersaura fossil material was discovered in 2012 in sediments from the base of the Huincul Formation (Barda Atravesada de Las Campanas locality) in Cañadón de las Campanas near Villa El Chocón of Neuquén Province, Argentina. The bones were then excavated over the course of five years, during which the holotype of the giant carcharodontosaurid Meraxes was also found.

The holotype specimen, MMCh-PV 70, belonging to a mature individual, consists of a braincase fused to the skull roof and partial neurocranium, partial dorsal vertebrae, fourteen caudal vertebrae with some haemal arches, a partial left scapula, right pubic peduncle, part of both tibiae and fibulae, and several bones from the feet, including metatarsals, phalanges, ungual phalanges.

Additional specimens were also assigned as paratypes. MMCh-PV 236, belonging to a mature individual, was found in close proximity to the holotype of Meraxes, about 20 metres (66 ft) from the other Sidersaura specimens. It includes an indeterminate vertebra (likely a sacral or caudal), a dorsal rib, two metacarpals, a partial pelvic girdle including an incomplete ilium, ischia, and pubes, and the left femur and fibula. Additional bones of this specimen, including sacral neural arches, caudal vertebrae, the right femur, left tibia, right fibula, and a metatarsal, have also been found but are currently not prepared.

Editorial summary

“Sidersaura” enters the record as extinct genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaurs. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Sidersaura, extinct and genus can confirm, complicate or overturn.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2012—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its strongest next move is a source search built around Sidersaura, extinct and genus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

“Sidersaura” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Sidersaura, extinct and genus provides the most credible route into that argument.

Evidence profile

Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q124099993. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2012.

Critical limits

Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

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  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Sidersaura”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Sidersaura primary sources, Sidersaura archive and Sidersaura research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sidersaura”?
  2. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
  3. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Sidersaura” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.