Genre

Valide Éteint

Massospondylus

Owen 1854

Massospondylus est un genre fossile de dinosaures saurischiens herbivores au long cou, du clade des Plateosauria et de celui des Massopoda, et de famille des Massospondylidae. Il a été découvert dans le sud de l'Afrique, où il a vécu au Jurassique inférieur, soit il y a environ entre 201,4 à 184,2 millions d'années.

Plage temporelle

Trias

Jurassique

Crétacé

Paléogène

Néogène

252 201 145 66 0 Ma

Occurrences PBDB

Groupe

Dinosaures

Terrestre

cliquer pour agrandir

Neotype skeleton of Massospondylus carinatus (BP/1/4934) in left lateral (A) and right lateral (B) views. Scale bars = 50 mm. © Paul M. Barrett1, Kimberley E.J. Chapelle, Casey K. Staunton, Jennifer Botha & Jonah N. Choiniere · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Légende en anglais — traduction française non disponible.

PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Classification

Dinosauria Clade non classé

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Saurischia Clade non classé

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Sauropodomorpha Clade non classé

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Massopoda Clade non classé

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Massospondylidae Famille

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Massospondylus Genre

Sites de découverte 80 sites géolocalisés

Répartition

Principaux pays

🇿🇦 Afrique du Sud

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🇱🇸 Lesotho

🇳🇦 Namibie

Formations géologiques

Elliot

Mpandi

Forest Sandstone

Clarens

Pebbly Arkose

Etjo

Upper Karroo Sandstone

Distribution temporelle

Pliensbachien (192.9–184.2 Ma)

Sinémurien (199.5–192.9 Ma)

Norien (227.3–205.7 Ma)

Carnien (237–227.3 Ma)

Espèces (3)

Massospondylus carinatus 201 Ma

Massospondylus hislopi

Massospondylus kaalae 201 Ma

Bibliographie

Description originale

R. Owen. 1854. Descriptive catalogue of the Fossil organic remains of Reptilia and Pisces contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. London

Bibliographie (22)

E. D. Mooney, T. Maho, and D. C. T. Rowe, D. Scott, R. R. Reisz. 2025. Massospondylus embryos and hatchling provide new insights into early sauropodomorph ontogeny. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 144(1):44:1-17 DOI ↗

B. M. Weiss, J. Botha, and J. N. Choiniere. 2022. Limb bone histology of theropod dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 42(2):e2145901:1-9 DOI ↗

L. Sciscio, P. A. Viglietti, and P. M. Barrett, T. J. Broderick, D. Munyikwa, K. E. J. Chapelle, K. N. Dollman, S. F. Edwards, M. Zondo, J. N. Choiniere. 2021. Sedimentology and palaeontology of the Upper Karoo Group in the Mid-Zambezi Basin, Zimbabwe: new localities and their implications for interbasinal correlation. Geological Magazine 158:1035-1058 DOI ↗

K. N. Dollman, P. A. Viglietti, and J. N. Choiniere. 2019. A new specimen of Orthosuchus stormbergi (Nash 1968) and a review of the distribution of Southern African Lower Jurassic crocodylomorphs. Historical Biology 31(5):653-664 DOI ↗

R. J. Butler, A. M. Yates, and O. W. M. Rauhut, C. Foth. 2013. A pathological tail in a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from South Africa: evidence of traumatic amputation?. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(1):224-228 DOI ↗

R. R. Reisz, D. C. Evans, and H.-D. Sues, D. Scott. 2010. Embryonic skeletal anatomy of the sauropodomorph dinosaur Massospondylus from the Lower Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(6):1653-1665 DOI ↗

P. M. Barrett. 2009. A new basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Upper Elliot Formation (Lower Jurassic) of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29(4):1032-1045 DOI ↗

P. M. Barrett and A. M. Yates. 2005. New information on the palate and lower jaw of Massospondylus (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha). Palaeontologia Africana 41:123-130

P. M. Barrett. 2004. Sauropodomorph dinosaur diversity in the upper Elliot Formation (Massospondylus range zone: Lower Jurassic) of South Africa. South African Journal of Science 100:501-503

H.-D. Sues, R. R. Reisz, and S. Hinic, M. A. Raath. 2004. On the skull of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the Elliot and Clarens Formations (Lower Jurassic) of South Africa. Annals of Carnegie Museum 73(4):239-257 DOI ↗

F. Hölzforster, H. Stollhofen, and I. G. Stanistreet. 1999. Lithostratigraphy and depositional environments in the Waterberg-Erongo area, central Namibia, and correlation with the main Karoo Basin, South Africa. Journal of African Earth Sciences 29(1):105-123 DOI ↗

D. Munyikwa. 1997. Faunal analysis of Karoo-aged sediments in the northern Limpopo Valley, Zimbabwe. Arnoldia Zimbabwe 10(13):129-140

A. B. Busbey III and C. E. Gow. 1984. A new protosuchian crocodile from the Upper Triassic Elliot Formation of South Africa. Palaeontologia Africana 25:127-149

J. W. Kitching and M. A. Raath. 1984. Fossils from the Elliot and Clarens Formations (Karoo Sequence) of the northeastern Cape, Orange Free State and Lesotho, and a suggested biozonation based on tetrapods. Palaeontologia Africana 25:111-125

M. R. Cooper. 1981. The prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus carinatus Owen from Zimbabwe: its biology, mode of life and phylogenetic significance. Occasional Papers of the National Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia, Series B, Natural Sciences 6(10):689-840

J. W. Kitching. 1979. Preliminary report on a clutch of six dinosaurian eggs from the Upper Triassic Elliot Formation, Northern Orange Free State. Palaeontologia Africana 22:41-45

A. O. Thompson. 1975. The Karoo rocks in the Mazinga area, Beitbridge District. Rhodesia Geological Survey Short Report 40:1-79

M. A. Raath. 1974. Fossil vertebrate studies in Rhodesia: Further evidence of gastroliths in prosauropod dinosaurs. Arnoldia 7(5):1-7

A. W. Crompton. 1964. A preliminary description of a new mammal from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 142(3):441-452 DOI ↗

J. Attridge. 1963. The Upper Triassic Karroo deposits and fauna of southern Rhodesia. South African Journal of Science 59(5):242-247

A. E. Phaup. 1932. Fossil reptilian remains from Chelmer Farm, Nyamandhlovu District. Proceedings of the Rhodesia Scientific Association 31:37-39

R. Owen. 1854. Descriptive catalogue of the Fossil organic remains of Reptilia and Pisces contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. London