Tataouinea

of Tataouine

• Tataouine · Arabic/Berber (place name) · the Tataouine Governorate in southern Tunisia, where the fossils were found
• -ea · Latin · adjectival suffix meaning 'pertaining to'

Tataouinea means "from Tataouine", after the Tataouine region of southern Tunisia where the fossil was discovered. The region's name is also the inspiration for the planet Tatooine in Star Wars. The type species is Tataouinea hannibalis, with the species name honouring the Carthaginian general Hannibal.

Named by

Fanti et al.

Year named

2013

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Albian

Found in

Ksar Metlaoui Formation, Tataouine Governorate, Tunisia

A rebbachisaurid sauropod. It is notable for the extensive air-sac (pneumatic) cavities in its vertebrae and pelvis, which suggest a bird-like respiratory system.