Hortalotarsus Temporal range:
Early Jurassic,
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Preserved portion of the holotype drawn before being partially destroyed by blasting | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | † Sauropodomorpha |
Clade: | † Bagualosauria |
Clade: | † Plateosauria |
Clade: | † Massopoda |
Family: | † Massospondylidae |
Genus: | †
Hortalotarsus Seeley, 1894 |
Type species | |
†Hortalotarsus skirtopodus Seeley, 1894
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Synonyms | |
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Hortalotarsus (etymology uncertain; probably " tarsus of a young bird"? [1]) is a dubious genus of extinct sauropodomorph from the Early Jurassic ( Sinemurian-aged) Clarens Formation of Eagle's Crag, South Africa. [2] [3]
The type species, Hortalotarsus skirtopodus was named by Harry Seeley in 1894, initially as a species of Thecodontosaurus. [4] The holotype is AM 455, [5] consisting today of only a tibia, fibula and phalanges, although more of the skeleton was initially present, including ribs, possible vertebrae, a possible ilium, a possible femur, a possible scapula and a possible humerus, [4] [6] which was discovered by William Horner Wallace on 11 July 1888 in Eagle's Crag, Barkly East. [7]
According to Robert Broom (1911), "Originally most of the skeleton was in the rock, and it was regarded by the farmers as the skeleton of a Bushman, but it is said to have been destroyed through fear that a Bushman skeleton in the rock might tend to weaken the religious belief of the rising generation." [6] Seeley however, states that most of the skeleton was lost by a failed attempt to free it from the rock by using gunpowder. [4] Some partial leg bones were salvaged. [8]
Hortalotarsus would have been similar to Massospondylus, [8] reaching around 3 metres (9.8 ft) long when fully grown.
Hortalotarsus was subsequently regarded as either a synonym of Massospondylus [5] or a valid genus belonging to Anchisauridae. [9] [10] Galton and Cluver (1976) as well as Galton and Upchurch (2004), however, designated this genus a nomen dubium. [8] [11]
Today, Hortalotarsus is classified as a member of the Massospondylidae. [8]
Hortalotarsus Temporal range:
Early Jurassic,
| |
---|---|
![]() | |
Preserved portion of the holotype drawn before being partially destroyed by blasting | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | † Sauropodomorpha |
Clade: | † Bagualosauria |
Clade: | † Plateosauria |
Clade: | † Massopoda |
Family: | † Massospondylidae |
Genus: | †
Hortalotarsus Seeley, 1894 |
Type species | |
†Hortalotarsus skirtopodus Seeley, 1894
| |
Synonyms | |
|
Hortalotarsus (etymology uncertain; probably " tarsus of a young bird"? [1]) is a dubious genus of extinct sauropodomorph from the Early Jurassic ( Sinemurian-aged) Clarens Formation of Eagle's Crag, South Africa. [2] [3]
The type species, Hortalotarsus skirtopodus was named by Harry Seeley in 1894, initially as a species of Thecodontosaurus. [4] The holotype is AM 455, [5] consisting today of only a tibia, fibula and phalanges, although more of the skeleton was initially present, including ribs, possible vertebrae, a possible ilium, a possible femur, a possible scapula and a possible humerus, [4] [6] which was discovered by William Horner Wallace on 11 July 1888 in Eagle's Crag, Barkly East. [7]
According to Robert Broom (1911), "Originally most of the skeleton was in the rock, and it was regarded by the farmers as the skeleton of a Bushman, but it is said to have been destroyed through fear that a Bushman skeleton in the rock might tend to weaken the religious belief of the rising generation." [6] Seeley however, states that most of the skeleton was lost by a failed attempt to free it from the rock by using gunpowder. [4] Some partial leg bones were salvaged. [8]
Hortalotarsus would have been similar to Massospondylus, [8] reaching around 3 metres (9.8 ft) long when fully grown.
Hortalotarsus was subsequently regarded as either a synonym of Massospondylus [5] or a valid genus belonging to Anchisauridae. [9] [10] Galton and Cluver (1976) as well as Galton and Upchurch (2004), however, designated this genus a nomen dubium. [8] [11]
Today, Hortalotarsus is classified as a member of the Massospondylidae. [8]