   #copyright

Plateosaurus

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Dinosaurs

   iPlateosaurus

                         Fossil range: Late Triassic

   A Plateosaurus sketch by Tim Bekaert.
   A Plateosaurus sketch by Tim Bekaert.

                             Conservation status

   Extinct (fossil)
              Scientific classification

   Kingdom:    Animalia
   Phylum:     Chordata
   Class:      Sauropsida
   Superorder: Dinosauria
   Order:      Saurischia
   Suborder:   Sauropodomorpha
   Infraorder: Prosauropoda
   Family:     Plateosauridae
   Genus:      Plateosaurus
   Species:    P. engelhardti

                                Binomial name

   Plateosaurus engelhardti
   von Meyer, 1837

   Plateosaurus (meaning 'flat lizard' - Greek πλατυς/platys "broad" or
   "flat" from πλατη/platé meaning "flat surface" and σαυρος meaning
   "lizard") was the largest dinosaur known to have existed during the
   Triassic Period of the Mesozoic Era, reaching 6 to 10 m in length and
   up to an estimated 700 kg in mass. Like all sauropodomorphs,
   Plateosaurus was a saurischian.

Discovery and species

   Plateosaurus is one of the most common dinosaur fossils found in Europe
   and has been found in over 50 locations on that continent.

   The first species, P. engelhardti, was described by the German
   palaeontologist Hermann von Meyer, from some vertebrae and leg bones
   discovered at Heroldsberg near Nuremberg, in Germany, in 1837. P.
   longiceps was described by Jaekel in 1914, and is the species to which
   the vast majority of fossil material belongs. P. engehardti is known
   only from Bavaria, Germany, while P. longiceps is known from other
   areas of southern Germany, France, Switzerland, and Greenland.

   P. longiceps had a longer snout and less massive hindlimbs than P.
   engelhardti .

   Plateosaurus species
     * P. engelhardti ( type)
     * P. longiceps

   A third species, P. gracilis lacks certain features of the genus
   Plateosaurus and has been placed in its own genus Sellosaurus.

Paleobiology

   A Plateosaurus statue in the Grün 80 park, near Basel, Switzerland.
   Enlarge
   A Plateosaurus statue in the Grün 80 park, near Basel, Switzerland.

   A member of the group of early herbivores, known as prosauropods, it
   had a long neck, stocky body and a pear-shaped trunk. A recent analysis
   of fossil deposits reveals there was considerable variation in size in
   individuals. Furthermore, growth rings in bone suggests periods of
   varying growth which may relate to the surrounding environment. The
   paper's author Klein proposes that the metabolism of Plateosaurus may
   have been intermediate between a reptilian and warm-blooded one.

   The skull of Plateosaurus was deeper than that of Coelophysis, although
   still small and narrow compared to the size of its body. It had a long
   snout and socketed teeth and its eyes were directed to the sides,
   rather than the front, providing all-round vision to watch for
   predators.

   Like all prosauropods, Plateosaurus had forelimbs which were much
   shorter than the hind limbs and they had distinct digits ('fingers')
   and a spiked 'thumb'. This suggests that, while its mass suggests it
   was mainly quadrupedal, it may have been able to rear up on its hind
   legs. The forelimbs may have been used to rake trees for food, for
   grasping or for defence.

   The natural environment of Plateosaurus was desert-like land in Europe.

Popular culture

   Plateosaurus featured briefly in Walking With Dinosaurs, to illustrate
   the success of dinosaurs.

   Mounted Plateosaurus skeletons can be seen in the Institute and Museum
   for Geology and Paleontology, University of Tübingen, and the Humboldt
   Museum in Berlin, and the State Museum for Natural History in
   Stuttgart.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateosaurus"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
