Plateosaurus erlenbergiensis, Huene, 1905 b

P. ERLENBERGIENSIS Huene, 1905b

SYNONYMY: P. longiceps ( Jaekel, 1913 –1914).

HOLOTYPE: SMNS 6014, consisting of a partial skull and part of the skeleton including several vertebrae, partial pectoral girdle and forelimb, partial ilium, ischium, and most of the hindlimb elements ( Galton, 2001).

REFERRED MATERIAL: Hundreds of disarticulated elements, as well as complete skeletons including at least 10 skulls ( Galton and Upchurch, 2004), including AMNH FARB 6810.

OCCURRENCE: Various Middle-Late Norian (Late Triassic) formations, including the Trossingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany), Knollenmergel (Niedersachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany), Obere Bunte Mergel (Aargau, Switzerland), Marnes Irisées Supérieures (Jura and Doubs, France), and Fleming Fjord (eastern Greenland) Formations ( Galton and Upchurch, 2004).

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS: Occipital condyle above level of parasphenoid; basisphenoid with transverse, subvertical lamina extending between basipterygoid processes, with ventrally projecting median process; dorsal end of lacrimal with broad and weakly rugose lateral sheet that covers posterodorsal corner of antorbital fenestra; peglike process projected medially from middle of palatine; and nasal length greater than half the length of skull roof (after Galton [1990; 2001], Yates [2003b], and Galton and Upchurch [2004]).

COMMENTS: Galton (2001) regarded Plateosaurus erlenbergiensis Huene, 1905b , as a nomen dubium because of the poor and incomplete preservation of the type skull and postcranial skeleton. However, this specimen (SMNS 6014) contains sufficient anatomical information to be diagnostic. In particular, it displays three of the autapomorphies proposed here to diagnose P. erlenbergiensis : occipital condyle above the level of the parasphenoid; basisphenoid with transverse, subvertical lamina extending between the basipterygoid processes, with ventrally projecting median process; and a peglike process projected medially from the middle of the palatine. Therefore, and regardless of the quality of its preservation or extent of anatomical completeness, SMNS 6014 forms an adequate and diagnosable type specimen.

At least two of the autapomorphies of Plateosaurus erlenbergiensis (i.e., the peglike process of the palatine and the presence of subvertical lamina between the basipterygoid processes of the basisphenoid) have previously been proposed as derived characters of P. longiceps ( Galton, 2001; Galton and Upchurch, 2004). Since P. erlenbergiensis Huene, 1905b , clearly has priority over P. longiceps Jaekel, 1913 –1914, we regard the latter as a junior synonym of P. erlenbergiensis .