THE PROSAUROPODAN DINOSAURS
AM-oh-SAW-rus
Sand reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic to early Jurassic
Connecticut and Arizona, USA
Ammosaurus was a 7-foot-long (2m) animal that could
probably walk on all fours or on its hind legs. It is known only
from a few partial skeletons.The first specimen was taken from a
hundred years ago, at the time when a bridge was being built.
This bridge was recently knocked down, and more of the same
skeleton was found in the rubble.
AN-ki-SAW-rus
Near reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic to early Jurassic
Connecticut, USA and South Africa
Anchisaurus was a small, lightly built animal, about 6.5ft.
(2m) long. It had Blunt, diamond-sharped teeth spaced out along
its jaw, and could have eaten plants or meat. Anchisaurus
had strong limbs and large strong claws on its thumbs, which it
could have used to pull leaves from trees or to tear up flesh.
The first dinosaur remains to be found in North America were
collected in the late eighteenth century, and these included some
bones of Anchisaurus.
YOOS-kel-oh-SAW-rus
True limbed reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic/early Jurassic
South Africa
Euskelosaurus was one of the firs dinosaur to be
discovered in Africa. A small set od leg bones was sent to
England from south Africa and named Euskelosaurus in 1866. Since
then, many more bones of this dinosaur, were found. The bones are
huge: the thig bone was over a yard long. Because of the poor
fossils, it is not possible to accurately classify Euskelosaurus.
It was a prosauropd, and it may have been related to either
plateosaurus or melanosaurus.
ISS-kih-SAW-rus
Ischigualasto (where found) reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic
Argentina
Ischisaurus is one of the oldest known dinosaurs, and
rather a poorly known animal. Only two speciamens are known, and
these include parts of the skull and legs. Ischisaurus was medium-sized
animal, about 6.5ft (2m) long. The arms were short and the hind
legs rather longer, which suggests that Ischisaurus may have run
on its hind legs.
Loo-FENG-oh-SAW-rus
Lufeng reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic/early Jurassic
Lufeng, southern China
Lufengosaurus is one of the oldest Chinese dinosaur
and it shows that there were prosauropods all over the world. It
was closely related to plateosaurus, and was quite large: it was
about 20ft (6m) long. Lufengosaurus had a long skull, long
powerful hind legs and shorter arms. Lufengosaurus could probably
walk upright on its hind legs or on all four. Its diet is a
mystery. It has usualy been asumed that they are plants, but the
small, spaced teeth had fairly sharp edges and could have been
used for eating meat also.
MASS-oh-SPOND-ih-lus
Bulky vertebrae
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic/early Jurassic
South Africa
Massospondylus was a large animal about 13ft (4m)
long, and one of the most common early dinosaur. Its close
relatives, which lived at the same time, were lufengosaurus in
China and plateosaurus in Europe. Massospondylus was named in
1854 by Richard Owen from a few broken vertebrae that had been
sent from South Africa to England. New fossils of Massosponylus
were found later and there are now some partial skeletons which
make a recostruction possible. Massospondylus had large strong
hind legs. Its arms were also strong, and the hand could have
been used for walking of for grasping. The thumb was huge and it
had a large curved claw. It could be placed against the second
and third fingers and might have been used for holding things.
Fingers four and five were very small. A few odd bones from India
have also been named in Massospondylus.
MEL-an-O-roe-SAW-rus
Black mountain reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
South Africa
Melanorosaurus was the largest early dinosaur. Its
closest relative was euskelosaurus and some people that the two
animals are the same. Melanorosaurus probably walked on all
fours, unlike its other relatives plateosaurus and lufengosaurus
which may have stood upright at times. The original speciman was
only a few limb bones and vertebrae. The reconstruction is based
on these bones and on related forms.
Muss-AW-rus
Mouse reptile
Saurischia: ? Prosauropoda
Late Triassic
Argentina
Mussaurus was named in 1979 on five or six small
skeletons. These were found together in a nest with the remains
of two eggs. The largest skeleton was 8in (20cm) long. The
skeleton shows that Mussaurus was a prosauropod.
PLAT-ee-oh-SAW-rus
Flat reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic
Germany, France, Switzerland
Plateosaurus was the most common early dinosaur that
we know. Dozens of skeletons of this large 26-foot-long (8m)
animal have been collected all over central Europe. Some of these
are beautifully preserved. Plateosaurus had a fairly long and
light skull with small, leafshaped teeth spaced out along its
jaws. It had quite a long neck and strong limbs. Plateosaurus had
broad hands with a thumb claw that was large and curved.
Plateosaurus could have moved on all fours, and reared up on its
hind legs to feed in trees.
Stor-IK-oh-SAW-rus
Cross reptile
Saurischia: ?Prosauropoda
Late Triassic
Brazil
Staurikosaurus was an early two-legged dinosaur. It
was 6.5ft. (2m) long and had a light, agile body. Its head was
large and its teeth show that it probably ate meat. Staurikosaurus
had long hind legs and shorter arms, all with five toes or
fingers. Staurikosaurus may have been related to early
prosauropods like anchiosaurus and thecodontosaurus, or to early
coelurosaurs like coelophysis and procompsognathus.
THEEK-oh-DON-to-SAW-rus
Socket-toothed reptile
Saurischia: Prosauropoda
Late Triassic/ early Jurrasic
England and South Africa
Thecodontosaurus wsa an early medium-sized dinosaur.
It was named in 1843 from a piece of jaw from Bristol, southwest
England. Thecodontosaurus was 6.5ft. (2m) long and could
have walked on all fours or upright. Its small snd light skull
had many sharp leaflike teeth that could have been used to eat
plants or meat. Thecodontosaurus had a long neck and
strong arms with a big curved thumb claw. It was probably related
to anchisaurus.
vul-KAN-oh-don
Fire tooth
Saurischia: ?Prosauropoda
Late Triassic/ early Jurrasic
Zimbabwe
Vulcanodon is a atrange animal that was named in 1972.
Its teeth were like those of a prosauropod – small with
serrated edges – while its limbs were like those of a
sauropod. It could be related to melonosaurus or to camarasaurus.
Vulcanodon was about 21ft. (6.5m) long.
