Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Re-evalution of “Typothorax”meadei, a Late Triassic aetosaur from the United States

  • Published:
Paläontologische Zeitschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Kurzfassung

Die in Howard County, Texas, USA gefundenen und von Sawin (1947)Typothorax meadei genannten Aetosauria-Exemplare stellen ein neues Genus dar, das wir hier alsLongosuchus einführen. Dieses Genus enthält nur eine einzige Art (L. meadei).Longosuchus ist durch folgende Merkmale charakterisiert: sieben dentale Zähne; ein vom ventralen Rand des lateralen mandibularen Fensters ausgeschlossenes Dentale; stachelige Panzerplatten am ganzen Oberkörper und laterale Hörner mit nicht-zirkulärem Querschnitt.Longosuchus wurde in mittleren bis oberen Carnischen Schichten in Texas, New Mexico und North Carolina, USA, gefunden. Aetosauria können benutzt werden, um drei sukzessive Biochrone in oberen triassischen Schichten des Südwestens von Nordamerika zu unterscheiden. Dies sind, nach absteigendem Alter,Longosuchus Biochron,Stagonolepis Biochron undTypothorax Biochron.

Abstract

Aetosaur specimens from Howard County, Texas, USA, namedTypothorax meadei by Sawin (1947) represent a new genus here namedLongosuchus (type and only species -L. meadei). Longosu-chus is characterised by the possession of seven dentary teeth, a dentary excluded from the ventral margin of the lateral mandibular fenestra and by the angular, spinose lateral scutes throughout the dorsal region with lateral horns which have faceted sides.Longosuchus is found in mid-late Carnian strata in Texas, New Mexico and North Carolina, USA. Aetosaurs can be used to distinguish three successive biochrons in Late Triassic strata of the American Southwest, which are, in ascending order of age, theLongosuchus biochron, theStagonolepis biochron and theTypothorax biochron.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baird, D. &Patterson, O. F. III 1967. Dicynodont-archosaur fauna in the Pekin Formation (Upper Triassic) of North Carolina. - Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.70: 1565–1566, Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballew, K. L. 1989. A phylogenetic analysis of Phytosauria from the Late Triassic of the western United States. - [In:] Lucas, S. G. & Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 309–339; New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camp, C. L. 1930. A study of the phytosaurs with description of new material from western North America. - Mem. Univ. Calif.10: 1–174, Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colbert, E. H. &Gregory, J. T. 1957. Correlation of continental Triassic sediments by vertebrate fossils.- Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.68: 1456–1467, Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, E. D. 1875. Report of the geology of that part of New Mexico examined during the field-season of 1874. - Ann. Rept. Wheeler. Surv.1875: 61–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder, R. L. 1978. Paleontology and Paleoecology of the Dockum Group, Upper Triassic, Howard County, Texas. - 205 pp. M. S. Thesis, Univ. Texas, Austin [unpubl.].

  • Emerson, B. K. &Loomis, F. B. 1904. OnStegomus longipes, a new reptile from the Triassic sandstones of the Connecticut Valley. Amer. J. Sci.17: 377–380, New Haven.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gore, P. J. W. 1989. Boren clay products quarry, Gulf, NC. - [In:] Olsen, P. E.; Schlische, R. W. & Gore, P. J.G. (eds.) Tectonic, Depositional and Paleoecological History of Early Mesozoic Rift Basins, Eastern North America: 23–25; American Geophysical Union, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gore, P. J. W.;Smoot, J. P. &Olsen, P. E. 1989. Geology of the Deep River basin. - [In:] Olsen, P. E.; Schlische, R. W. & Gore, P. J. G. (eds.) Tectonic, Depositional and Paleoecological History of Early Mesozoic Rift Basins, Eastern North America: 19–23; American Geophysical Union, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granata, G. E. 1981. Regional sedimentation of the Late Triassic Dockum Group, West Texas and eastern New Mexico. - 199 pp., M. S. Thesis, Univ. Texas, Austin, [unpubl.]

  • Gregory, J. T. 1953.Typothorax andDesmatosuchus. - Postilla16: 1–27, New Haven.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1957. Significance of fossil vertebrates for correlation of Late Triassic continental deposits of North America. - 20th Int. Geol. Congr., Secc.2: 7–25, Mexico City.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoots, H. W. 1925. Geology of a part of western Texas and southern New Mexico with special reference to salt and potash. -U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull.780B: 1–126, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huene, F. von 1908. Die Dinosaurier der Europäischen Triasformation. - Geol. Palaont. Abh., Suppl.1: 1–419, Tübingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1914. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Archosaurier. - Geol. Palaont. Abh. (N. F.)13: 1–53, Tübingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1915. On reptiles of the New Mexico Trias in the Cope collection. - Bull Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.34: 485–507, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1926. Notes on the age of the continental Triassic beds in North America with remarks on some fossil vertebrates. - Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.69: 1–10, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1939. Ein primitiver Phytosaurier in der jüngeren nordostalpinen Trias. - Zbl. Min. (B)1939: 139–144, Stuttgart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, A. P. 1989a. Comments on the taxonomy of North American metoposaurs and a preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the family Metoposauridae. - [In:]Lucas, S. G. &Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 293–300, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989b. The biochronological significance of Late Triassic metoposaurid labyrinthodonts. - New Mex. J. Sci.30: 117–118, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, A. P. &Lucas, S. G. 1988. Late Triassic fauna from the Los Esteras Member of the Santa Rosa Formation, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, and its biochronological implications. - New Mex. J. Sci.28: 107–116, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989a. Late Triassic vertebrate localities in New Mexico. - [In:] Lucas, S. G. & Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 72–101, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989b. Stratigraphy and vertebrate biochronology of Upper Triassic strata in the Chama bain, north-central New Mexico. - Abstr. Symp. Southwest. Geol. Pal.1989: 5, Flagstaff.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, A. P.;Lucas, S. G. &Sealey, P. S. 1989. Paleontology and biochronology of the Upper Triassic Garita Creek Formation, east-central New Mexico. - New Mex. J. Sci.30: 61–68, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, R. E. 1989. Late Triassic vertebrate localities of the Owl Rock Member (Chinle Formation) in the Ward Terrace area of northern Arizona. - [In:]Lucas, S. G. &Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 12–28, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litwin, R. J. 1986. The palynostratigraphy and age of the Chinle and Moenave Formations, southwestern USA. - 265 pp., Ph. D. Thesis, Penn. St. Univ., College Park, [unpubl.]

  • Long, R. A. &Ballew, K. A. 1985. Aetosaur dermal armor from the Late Triassic of southwestern North America, with special reference to material from the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National park. - Bull. Mus. North. Arizona,54: 45–68, Flagstaff.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, R. A.;Lucas, S. G.;Hunt, A. P. &Mccrae, R. T. 1989. Charles Camp: collecting Late Triassic vertebrates in the American Southwest during the 1920’s and 1930’s - [In:] Lucas, S. G. & Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 65–71, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, S. G. &Hunt, A. P. 1989a. Revised Triassic stratigraphy in the Tucumcari basin, east-central New Mexico. - [In:]Lucas, S. G. &Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 150–170, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989b. Vertebrate biochronology of Late Triassic. - 28th Int. Geol. Congr. Abstr.2: 335–336; Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murry, P. A. 1982.Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Dockum Group, Triassic of Texas. - 459 pp., Ph. D. Thesis, South Meth. Univ., Dallas, [unpubl.]

  • — 1986. Vertebrate paleontology of the Dockum Group, western Texas and eastern New Mexico. - [In:] Padian, K. (ed.) The Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs: Faunal Change Across the Triassic- Jurassic Boundary: 109–137, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989. Geology and paleontology of the Dockum Formation (Upper Triassic), West Texas and eastern New Mexico.- [In:] Lucas, S. G. & Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 102–144, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murry, P. A. &Long, R. A. 1989. Geology and paleontology of the Chinle Formation, Petrified Forest National Park and vicinity, Arizona and a discussion of vertebrate fossils of the southwestern Upper Triassic. - [In:] Lucas, S. G. & Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 29–64, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, P. E. 1989. Stop 9.1: St. Mary’s Bay, Rossway, NS. - [In:] Olsen, P. E.; Schlische, R. W. & Gore, P. J. W. (eds.) Tectonic, Depositional and Paleoecology History of Early Mesozoic Rift Basins, Eastern North America: 135–137, American Geophysical Union, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawin, H. J. 1947. The pseudosuchian reptileTypothorax meadei. -J. Pal.21 (3): 201–238, Tulsa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, B.J. 1985. The Triassic thecodontian reptileDesmatosuchus. - 83 pp.,M. S. Thesis, Tex. Tech. Univ., Lubbock. [unpubl.]

  • Small, B.J. 1987. Late Triassic aetosaurs from Texas: their biostratigraphic and taxonomic significance. - J. Vert. Pal. Suppl. 7: 26A.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1989. Aetosaurs from the Upper Triassic Dockum Formation, Post quarry, West Texas, - [In:]Lucas, S. G. &Hunt, A. P. (eds.) Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs in the American Southwest: 301–308, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trauth, F. 1948. Geologie des Kalkalpenbereiches der zweiten Wiener Hochquellenleitung. - Abh. Geol. Bundesanst.26: 1–99, Wien.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traverse, A. 1986. Palynology of the Deep River basin, North Carolina. - [In:] Textoris, D. A. (ed.) Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Field Guidebook, Third Annual Mid-year Meeting: 66–71, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Tulsa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, A. D. 1961. Triassic reptiles from the Elgin area:Stagonolepis, Dasygnathus and their allies. - Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. B.244: 103–204, London.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, G. H. Jr. &Northrop, S. A. 1946. Geology of Nacimiento Mountains and adjacent parts of Sandoval and Rio Arriba Counties, New Mexico. - U. S. geol. Surv. Oil Gas Invest. Prelim. Map, 57, 56–59 Washington.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Mexico Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 7010, 87194-7010, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    Adrian P. Hunt & Spencer G. Lucas

Authors
  1. Adrian P. Hunt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Spencer G. Lucas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hunt, A.P., Lucas, S.G. Re-evalution of “Typothorax”meadei, a Late Triassic aetosaur from the United States. Paläontol. Z. 64, 317–328 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02985722

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02985722

Keywords

Search

Navigation