Pterospondylus

Pterospondylus
Temporal range: Norian
~216 Ma
↓
Back vertebra in several views
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Coelophysidae
Genus: †Pterospondylus
Jaekel, 1913
Species:
†P. trielbae
Binomial name
†Pterospondylus trielbae
Jaekel, 1913
Restoration

Pterospondylus (meaning "winged vertebra") is a dubious genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Triassic. It was a coelophysid theropod which lived in what is now Germany (Trossingen Formation). The type species, Pterospondylus trielbae, (derived from "Tri", in reference to the Triassic period, and "Elba", for the Elbe River area[1]), was described by Jaekel in 1913–14 for a single back vertebra found inside the shell of the Proganochelys turtle.[1] Sometimes, it is aligned with Procompsognathus,[2] or even considered to be synonymous with it,[3] despite being based on a vertebra that is twice the size of the corresponding bone in Procompsognathus.[4] P. trielbae has no diagnostic features and is therefore considered a nomen dubium.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Jaekel, O. (1913–14). Über die Wirbeltierefunde in der oberen Trias von Halberstadt. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 1:155-215.
  2. ^ von Huene, F. (1932). Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihte Entwicklung und Geschichte. Monographien zur Geologie und Palaeontologie 1(4). 361 p.
  3. ^ Steel, R. (1970). Part 14. Saurischia. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie. Gustav Fischer Verlag:Stuttgart, 1–87.
  4. ^ Ostrom, J.H. (1981). Procompsognathus  — theropod or thecodont? Palaeontographica Abstract A, 175(4-6):179-195.
  5. ^ Rauhut, O. W. M. & Hungerbuhler, A. ¨ 2000. A review of European Triassic theropods. GAIA, 15, 75–88.

[[Category:Taxa named by Otto Jackel [[Category:nomina dubia Description:Pterospondylus is 2.5m(8.2 ft) long and 20 kg(44 lbs)in weight