Sellosaurus
SEL-oh-SORE-us /ˌsɛloʊˈsɔːrəs/
Synonym of Plateosaurus
saddle lizard
- sella · Latin · seat, saddle
- sauros · Greek · lizard
The name combines the Latin "sella", meaning "seat" or "saddle", with the Greek "sauros", meaning "lizard", so it is usually translated as "saddle lizard". It was given by Friedrich von Huene in 1908 to an early long-necked sauropodomorph from the Late Triassic of Germany. I am not certain which anatomical feature the "saddle" refers to.
- Named by
- von Huene
- Year named
- 1908
- Period
- Late Triassic
- Stage
- Norian
- Found in
- Löwenstein Formation, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Its status is debated. It is often treated as a junior synonym of Plateosaurus (the type species S. gracilis becoming Plateosaurus gracilis), but some researchers regard it as a distinct valid genus. It is a basal sauropodomorph ("prosauropod") dinosaur.