A new gigantic sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Ruyang, Henan, China

The new gigantic sauropod dinosaur Ruyangosaurus giganteus gen. et sp. nov. from the early Late Cretaceous Mangchuan Formation of Ruyang, Henan , China is described. It is characterized by a lower neural spine, lack of centroprezygapophyseal lamina, a large, irregularly triangular deep fossa on the lateral surface of the neural arch, the prezygodiapophyseal lamina oriented anteroposteriorly, and a robust tibia, some 127cm in length. The discovery of Ruyangosaurus indicates that a higher diversity of sauropod dinosaurs occurred during the early Late Cretaceous than previously thought.