A new titanosauriform from the Early Cretaceous Cloverly Formation of Montana

New material representing the northernmost titanosauriform from North America is described from the Cloverly Formation (Aptian/Albian) of Montana, USA. Representing a basal titanosauriform, Rugocaudia cooneyi gen. et sp. nov., the remains consist of 18 caudal vertebral and associated material. Possessing a combination of several unique caudal vertebrae features, Rugocaudia appears uniquely distinct from previously recognized North American sauropod genera. This Early Cretaceous taxon from Montana and subsequent discovery of titanosauriform material from Wyoming indicates a stronger Early Cretaceous sauropod presence across the continental USA than previously recognized. The presence of these northern latitude taxa helps to expand the spatial distribution of Early Cretaceous sauropods and is an additional piece of evidence to counter the claims of waning Early Cretaceous sauropod diversity in North America.