Eucnemesaurus

• South Africa (lower Elliot Formation)

• Eucnemesaurus fortis

Eucnemesaurus is a basal ( original ) genus of dinosaur sauropodomorphen. It was described in 1920 by van Hoepen first time scientifically, based on fragmentary remains from the Upper Triassic of South Africa ( Elliot Formation). Long this genus was considered invalid - it is declared either as a synonym of Euskelosaurus or as a noun dubium ( "naked name "). However, a study by Adam Yates (2007) comes to the conclusion that Eucnemesaurus was identical to Aliwalia, which is held traditionally for a large, basal theropods and was often associated with the Herrerasauridae. Yates showed that there was indeed a basal Sauropodomorpha from the relationship of the sauropods. Since Eucnemesaurus is the name described as the first, Eucnemesaurus would therefore valid and invalid Aliwalia a junior synonym. The only way is Eucnemesaurus fortis.

Systematics and Features

A cladistic analysis of Adam Yates (2007) comes to the conclusion that Eucnemesaurus was closely related to Riojasaurus. To summarize both classes, provides Yates on a new group, the Riojasauridae. The Riojasauridae were closer to sauropods used as the Plateosauridae, but basal than the Massospondylidae.

As the related Riojasaurus Eucnemesaurus was a tall, robust built Sauropodomorpha. From other genera, the genus according to Yates (2007) leaves by a feature on the vertebrae and by two features of the morphology of the trochanter, a section of the upper part of the femur, delimit.

Finds

The described by van Hoepen as Eucnemesaurus holotype material ( copy number TM 119) consists of fragments of vertebrae, four caudal vertebrae, fragments of the pubic bone ( pubis ), the upper end of the thigh bone (femur ) and shin bone (tibia). This finding was discovered on the grounds of a farm near Slabberts in the South African province of the Free State. The holotype material of Aliwalia rex, meanwhile, covers the ends of a left femur. This finding comes from Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape. Another find, an incomplete skeleton, includes a back and a tail vertebrae, a coracoid ( coracoid ), fragments of the shoulder blade ( scapula ) and a fragment of a femur and two rib fragments with. This skeleton was unearthed in Rosendal in the Free State Province.