Open Paleo

Sauropodiformes

Sereno, 2007

Its genera lived 227.3–66.0 million years ago Late Triassic–Late Cretaceous

Sauropodiformes is a clade of sauropodomorph dinosaurs that gathers the true sauropods together with their closest non-sauropod relatives. As a stem-based group, it embraces every taxon on the sauropod side of the split from Massospondylus, running from the "near-sauropod" grade of animals such as Anchisaurus, Melanorosaurus, Aardonyx, and Mussaurus, through the lessemsaurids, and on to the sauropods themselves. Its members chart one of the defining transitions in dinosaur evolution: the shift from a mostly bipedal posture to quadrupedal walking, in which McPhee and colleagues (2014) place Antetonitrus as a transitional form, accompanied by the march toward enormous body size on the line leading to Sauropoda.

Diagnosis

  1. Trend toward obligate quadrupedality with a shortened, weight-bearing manus
  2. Robust, columnar limb bones with reduced shaft torsion
  3. Broadened, weight-bearing pes with a reduced pollex
  4. Massive scapular blade in derived members

Clades within Sauropodiformes

Genera placed directly in Sauropodiformes

  • Aardonyx Yates et al., 2010 Hettangian–Sinemurian (201.4–192.9 Ma)South Africa
  • Anchisaurus Marsh, 1885 Pliensbachian–Toarcian (192.9–174.7 Ma)United States
  • Blikanasaurus Galton & Van Heerden, 1985 Norian–Rhaetian (227.3–201.4 Ma)South Africaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Camelotia Galton, 1985 Rhaetian (205.7–201.4 Ma)United Kingdomincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Gongxianosaurus He et al., 1998 Toarcian (184.2–174.7 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Irisosaurus Peyre de Fabrègues et al., 2020 Hettangian–Toarcian (201.4–174.7 Ma)China
  • Jingshanosaurus Zhang & Yang, 1995 Hettangian (201.4–199.5 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Leonerasaurus Pol et al., 2011 Pliensbachian (192.9–184.2 Ma)Argentinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Lishulong Zhang et al., 2024 Hettangian–Sinemurian (201.4–192.9 Ma)China
  • Melanorosaurus Haughton, 1924 Norian–Rhaetian (227.3–201.4 Ma)South Africaincertae sedis
  • Meroktenos Peyre de Fabrègues & Allain, 2016 Norian–Rhaetian (227.3–201.4 Ma)Lesothoincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Mussaurus Bonaparte & Vince, 1979 Sinemurian–Pliensbachian (199.5–184.2 Ma)Argentina
  • Qianlong Han et al., 2024 Sinemurian (199.5–192.9 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Schleitheimia Rauhut et al., 2020 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Switzerlandincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Sefapanosaurus Otero et al., 2015 Norian–Hettangian (227.3–199.5 Ma)South Africa
  • Seitaad Sertich & Loewen, 2010 Pliensbachian–Toarcian (192.9–174.7 Ma)United Statesincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Tuebingosaurus Fernández & Werneburg, 2022 Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)Germany
  • Xingxiulong Wang et al., 2017 Hettangian (201.4–199.5 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Yizhousaurus Zhang et al., 2018 Sinemurian (199.5–192.9 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute
  • Yunnanosaurus Young, 1940 Hettangian–Sinemurian (201.4–192.9 Ma)Chinaincertae sedisunder dispute

References

  1. Sereno, P. C. (2007). Basal Sauropodomorpha: historical and recent phylogenetic hypotheses, with comments on Ammosaurus major (Marsh, 1889). Special Papers in Palaeontology 77: 261-289.

    Published Sauropodiformes, credited to Sereno's online database of 2005, as the least inclusive clade containing Mussaurus patagonicus and Saltasaurus loricatus.

    sereno2007a
  2. McPhee, B. W.; Yates, A. M.; Choiniere, J. N.; Abdala, F. (2014). The complete anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Antetonitrus ingenipes (Sauropodiformes, Dinosauria): implications for the origins of Sauropoda. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171(1): 151-205. doi:10.1111/zoj.12127

    Provides the stem-based redefinition of Sauropodiformes used for the clade.

    mcphee2014a