New Dinosaur Species Mesetasaurus Protector Discovered in Uruguay

Paleontologists in Uruguay have identified a new species of giant titanosaur dinosaur, Mesetasaurus protector, that lived approximately 83 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous. The discovery is based on two well-preserved tail vertebrae found in the Paysandú department and has been published in the journal Ameghiniana.

The discovery

The fossils were discovered in the 1980s by two fishermen, Guillermo Sena and Daniel Montano, near the Meseta de Artigas escarpment. The vertebrae were later donated to researchers at the University of the Republic (Source: Clarin). The animal was about 9–10 meters long and belonged to the aeolosaurine group of titanosaurs, characterized by specialized forward-leaning tails.

Scientific significance

Key implications of the find:

• Mesetasaurus is the second sauropod species recorded in Uruguay, after Udelartitan celeste (Source: Infobae).
• The species acts as a "geological clock" that dates the Guichón Formation to the Late Cretaceous (83–86 million years), younger than previously thought (Source: La Voz).
• The study links Uruguayan prehistoric ecosystems to those of Patagonia, suggesting faunal connections across southern South America.

The name Mesetasaurus protector honors José Artigas, Uruguay's national hero known as the "Protector of Free Peoples," and the Mesa de Artigas region where the fossils were found.