Pronunciation:
Meaning: Garumba giant
Author/s: Mocho et al. (2023)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Morella, Spain
Discovery Chart Position: #1103
Garumbatitan morellensis
(Garumba giant from Morella)Etymology
Garumbatitan is derived from "Garumba" (for "Mola de la Garumba", one of the highest mountains in Morella) and the Greek "titan" (giant).
The species epithet, morellensis, means "from Morella" in Latin, referring to both the Arcillas de Morella Formation and the nearby town of Morella where some of the first Spanish dinosaur fossils were found.
Discovery
The remains of Garumbatitan were discovered at the Sant Antoni de la Vespa site in the Arcillas de Morella Formation, near the city of Morella, Castelló, Spain, by Miquel G. Fígols in 1998, and collected by M. Guardiola during field expeditions in 2005 and 2008.
The holotype (SAV05 and 08) is a partial skeleton, including a sequence of articulated neck and back vertebrae, ribs, tail vertebrae, chevrons, both thighs, shins, and calf bones, the right ankle, and most of the right foot, with further material as-yet unprepared. Near the holotype, ribs, tail vertebrae, hip bones, and two almost complete legs from at least two smaller individuals were discovered.
The fossil material was first announced in a 2016 abstract, followed by a publication in 2017 by Mocho et al. who described it as belonging to an "indeterminate titanosauriform".
