Leinkupal

vanishing family

• leinkupal · Mapudungun (Mapuche) · vanishing family

Leinkupal comes from the Mapuche language (Mapudungun) and means "vanishing family". The name refers to the fact that this diplodocid sauropod was a late survivor of a group that was already declining in the Early Cretaceous. The only named species is Leinkupal laticauda, with "laticauda" being Latin for "wide tail".

Named by

Gallina et al.

Year named

2014

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stages

Berriasian – Valanginian

Found in

Bajada Colorada Formation, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina

A diplodocid sauropod. It is one of the youngest known diplodocids, and it shows that the group survived into the Early Cretaceous. The stage range is approximate.