Plateosauravus
Plateosauravus was an early long-necked plant eater that lived in South Africa during the Late Triassic. It walked on two legs but could probably drop to all fours to feed. It is one of the oldest known members of the group that later gave rise to the giant sauropods.16
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Fun facts
Plateosauravus was named in 1932 by Friedrich von Huene, who realized it was different from Plateosaurus.16
Its name means 'grandfather of Plateosaurus', because it lived earlier and was more primitive.1
More than a dozen partial skeletons have been found in Kruger National Park since 1995, including some from young animals.1
Scientists used to call it Euskelosaurus, but that name is now considered doubtful because the original fossils are too incomplete.1
It lived between about 227 and 201 million years ago, during the Norian and Rhaetian ages.2
The first fossil was found by T.L. Cullingworth, and the species name cullingworthi honors him.1
Most asked questions about Plateosauravus
?How big was Plateosauravus?
It was moderately large, with a femur (thigh bone) at least 545 mm (about 0.55 metres) long. That suggests it was about the size of a large cow, though no complete skeleton has been found to give an exact length.4
?What did Plateosauravus eat?
It was a plant eater. As an early long-necked sauropodomorph, it ate ferns and other plants that grew in the Late Triassic.5
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Myth buster
Myth: Plateosauravus is the same as Euskelosaurus.
Truth: Many scientists once thought so, but Euskelosaurus is now considered a nomen dubium (a doubtful name) because its fossils are too poor. Plateosauravus is used instead.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Plateosauravus
- Named by
- Huene 19326
- Group
- Long-necks
- Family / clade
- Plateosauridae6
- Classification
- Sauropodomorpha6
- Age of the rocks
- 227 to 201 million years (Norian / Rhaetian)6
- Rock formations
- Elliot6
- Countries
- South Africa6
- Fossil records
- 2 in the Paleobiology Database6
- Discovery
- Sidney Haughton first named it Plateosaurus cullingworthi in 1924 from a partial skeleton found in South Africa. In 1932, Friedrich von Huene gave it its own genus, Plateosauravus.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly where Plateosauravus fits among the early sauropodomorphs, and some think it might be a nomen dubium.12
Where the facts come from
- Plateosauravus (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Plateosauravus cullingworthi | Dinosaur Database by DinoAnimals.com (dinoanimals.com)
- A definite prosauropod dinosaur from the Lower Elliot Formation (Norian: Upper Triassic) of South Africa (exa.ai)
- Plateosauravus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Plateosauravus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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