Tataouinea
Tataouinea is a genus of sauropod dinosaur in the subfamily Rebbachisaurinae of Rebbachisauridae which lived in the Early Cretaceous Tunisia. Its bones were extensively pneumatic, providing strong support for the theory that sauropods had birdlike respiratory systems. Key characteristics of its vertebral morphology show that Tatouinea was a rebbachisaurid, closely related to the nigersaurines of Europe. In 2015, more material of the holotype specimen uncovered after the initial description were analysed. These included additional tail vertebrae. A phylogenetic analysis was published alongside the paper, finding a clade of nigersaurines to include Rebbachisaurus, thus forcing the subfamily to be renamed Rebbachisaurinae.
It bears the name of the region where it was discovered, Tataouine, and a punic military commander Hannibal.It was discovered in 2011 by Aldo Luigi Bacchetta and studied by Federico Fanti, Andrea Cau, Mohsen Hassine and Michela Contessi.
