Ninjatitan

{{Short description|Genus of titanosaurian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period}}

{{speciesbox

|fossil_range = Early Cretaceous,
{{fossilrange|140|134}}

| image =

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| taxon = Ninjatitan zapatai

| parent_authority = Gallina, Canale, & Carballido, 2021

| authority = Gallina, Canale, & Carballido, 2021

}}

Ninjatitan (meaning "Ninja giant") is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian)-aged Bajada Colorada Formation of Argentina. It is the oldest titanosaur known to date and the type species N. zapatai was named and described in 2021.{{cite journal |last1=Gallina |first1=P. A. |last2=Canale |first2=J. I. |last3=Carballido |first3=J. L. |year=2021 |url=https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/article/view/3376 |title=The Earliest Known Titanosaur Sauropod Dinosaur. |journal=Ameghiniana |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=35–51 |doi=10.5710/AMGH.20.08.2020.3376 }} Its generic name comes from a nickname of Argentine palaeontologist Sebastian Apesteguia, and the specific name comes from technician Rogelio Zapata.{{Cite news|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=March 1, 2021|title=Colossal titanosaur found in Argentina could be the oldest example ever found, say scientists|work=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3123520/colossal-titanosaur-found-argentina-could-be-oldest-example}} It is known from postcranial remains discovered in 2014.{{Cite web|title=Científicos argentinos hallaron el titanosaurio más antiguo a nivel mundial|url=https://www.ambito.com/informacion-general/dinosaurios/cientificos-argentinos-hallaron-el-titanosaurio-mas-antiguo-nivel-mundial-n5173143|access-date=2021-03-01|website=www.ambito.com}}{{Cite web|last=Monday|first=01 Mar 2021 07:32 AM MYT|title=Study: Argentine titanosaur may be oldest yet {{!}} Malay Mail|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2021/03/01/study-argentine-titanosaur-may-be-oldest-yet/1953710|access-date=2021-03-01|website=www.malaymail.com|date=March 2021 |language=en}}

Classification

Ninjatitan does not preserve any unanimous features that classify it as a somphospondylan, but it does bear features that suggest it can be included within the clade Titanosauria, either as a basal taxon or possibly within the clade Colossosauria. The phylogenetic results of Gallina and colleagues are shown below, where Ninjatitan was suggested to have multiple possible positions.

{{clade|style=font-size:85%; line-height:85%;

|label1=Titanosauria

|1={{clade

|1=Andesaurus

|2={{clade

|1=Ninjatitan |state=dashed

|2={{clade

|1=Epachthosaurus

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1=Dreadnoughtus

|2=Lithostrotia }}