Hortalotarsus
hor-TAL-oh-TAR-sus /hɔːrˌtæləˈtɑːrsəs/
Synonym of Massospondylus
upright ankle / straight-ankled one
- hortalos · Greek · upright, straight, well-ordered
- tarsos · Greek · ankle, flat of the foot
Hortalotarsus combines the Greek word 'hortalos' (meaning upright or well-arranged) with 'tarsos' (meaning ankle or flat of the foot). The name refers to the distinctive structure of the ankle bones observed in the fossil material. It was intended to highlight the perceived upright or erect posture implied by the ankle anatomy of this early dinosaur.
- Named by
- Seeley
- Year named
- 1894
- Period
- Late Triassic
- Stage
- Norian
- Found in
- Elliot Formation, South Africa
Hortalotarsus skipperi was named by Seeley in 1894 based on fragmentary material from South Africa. It is now considered a junior synonym of Massospondylus, a well-known early sauropodomorph (prosauropod) dinosaur. The genus is no longer considered valid as a distinct taxon.