The role of Paleontology in the region was very important after discovered fossils of
Maxakalisaurus topai (
Dinoprata), a genus of titanosaurus found 45 kilometers (28 mi) from
Prata in 1998. It was closely related to Saltasaurus, considered unusual because it had evolved apparently defensive traits having bony plates on the skin and vertical plates in the spine. Osteoderms have also been found for Maxakalisaurus. The genus name comes from the tribe of the
Maxakali, and Topa is one of their divinities. The
Maxakalisaurus fossils belonged to an animal about 13 meters (43.3 ft.) long, with an estimated weight of 9 tons, although according to paleontologist
Alexander Kellner, it could reach a length of approximately 20 meters (65 ft.). It had a long neck and tail, ridged teeth (unusual among sauropods) and lived about 80
million years ago. Because sauropods seem to have lacked significant competition in
South America, they evolved having greater diversity and more unusual traits than elsewhere. It is exposed at the
National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro since August 28, 2006. == Major cities ==