Plateosaurus

flat lizard (broad lizard)

• platys · Greek · flat, broad
• sauros · Greek · lizard

Plateosaurus comes from the Greek "platys" (flat or broad) and "sauros" (lizard). Hermann von Meyer named it in 1837 from fossils found in Germany. The name is usually interpreted as "flat lizard" or "broad lizard", though the exact feature he had in mind is not clearly stated. It is often linked to the flattened shape of some of the bones.

Named by

von Meyer

Year named

1837

Period

Late Triassic

Stage

Norian

Found in

Germany, Switzerland and France (e.g. Trossingen Formation, Germany)

A well-known early sauropodomorph (a prosauropod-grade relative of the long-necked sauropods). The type species is Plateosaurus engelhardti. Many specimens are known, especially from Trossingen, Germany.