Cretaceous
Talenkauen
Talenkauen santacrucensis
The catalogue presents Talenkauen as a herbivore member of Ornithopoda that lived during the Cretaceous, between 96.2–89.8 Ma. Its estimated range is 4.0 m in length and 100–200 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Mata Amarilla Formation, near Lago Viedma, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Talenkauen, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Novas et al. (2004).
The PBDB places it in Elasmaria, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Ornithopoda.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Ornithopoda
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Campanian.
The PBDB catalogues 2 occurrences, with material from the Cerro Fortaleza Formation (2). Provenance: Argentina.
The catalogue records the holotype as MPM 10001 and the type locality as “Mata Amarilla Formation, near Lago Viedma, Santa Cruz, Argentina”.
- MPM 10001
- Mata Amarilla Formation, near Lago Viedma, Santa Cruz, Argentina
The catalogue's reference measurements are 4.0 m in length and 100–200 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 4.0 m
- 100-200 kg
The record gathers 12 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 4.0 m
- Weight
- 100–200 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 96.2–89.8 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 2004
- Described by
- Fernando Novas et al.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Ornithopoda
- Genus
- Talenkauen
- Species
- T. santacrucensis
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- MPM 10001
- Type locality
- Mata Amarilla Formation, near Lago Viedma, Santa Cruz, Argentina