Ardeosaurus brevipes, (MEYER, 1855)

ARDEOSAURUS BREVIPES ( MEYER, 1855)

Homeosaurus brevipes Meyer, 1855: p. 335 ; fig. IB Ardeosaurus brevipes Meyer, 1860: p. 106 ; taf. 12, Figs 4, 5 View Figure 5

Homeosaurus brevipes Broili, 1925: p. 108 Ardeosaurus brevipes Hoffstetter, 1953: p. 347 ; fig. 1B

Holotype: Collection Hetzell, now lost ( Mateer, 1982; Estes, 1983). Represented solely by a cast ( NHMUK 38006).

Referred material: PMU.R58, described by Mateer (1982), but now also lost.

Locality and horizon: Solnhofen Limestone, Tithonian, Late Jurassic; Wintershof wei Eichstaett, Germany.

Revised diagnosis: Ardeosaurus brevipes can be distinguished from A. digitatellus by the presence of skull roof ornamentation and cephalic osteoderms; wider parietal posterior margin between supratemporal processes; parietal posteromedial process present; postorbital and postfrontal separate elements; 23 presacral vertebrae; foot phalangeal formula 2-3-4-5-3.

Remarks: The above diagnosis is based on comparisons between the holotype of A. digitatellus and the description provided by Mateer (1982) of A. brevipes . See also Appendix 2 for phylogenetic autapomorphies of A. digitatellus from the analysis performed herein.