Open Paleo

Efraasia

Galton, 1973 E-FRAHS-ee-A

Named after German paleontologist Eberhard Fraas, who collected the original specimens in the early twentieth century; the 'E.' prefix likely stands for Eberhard

227.3–205.7 million years ago Norian, Late Triassic
Late Triassic stages

Efraasia is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur. It was a herbivore which lived during the middle Norian stage of the Late Triassic, around 210 million years ago, in what is now Germany. It was named in 1973 after Eberhard Fraas, who during the early twentieth century collected what were the original type specimens. The specimens were at first assigned to three already existing genera and so became divided among three separate species: Teratosaurus minor, Sellosaurus fraasi and Paleosaurus diagnosticus. In 2003, these were combined into a single valid species: Efraasia minor. Efraasia was a lightly built, medium-sized sauropodomorph, about 6 to 7 meters (20 to 23 ft) long.

Diagnosis

  1. Basipterygoid processes of medium length (neither very short as in Anchisaurus nor very long as in Thecodontosaurus)
  2. Second digit of manus robust and noticeably longer than digit 3, unique among prosauropods
  3. Ilium with a short anterior process (not elongate as in Anchisaurus or Gyposaurus)
  4. Pubis with a closed obturator foramen and a broad apron-like distal part
  5. First ungual is the largest on the pes
  6. Slender metacarpals and metatarsals/phalanges with elongate cervical vertebrae and low dorsal centra

Species

Efraasia minor Yates, 2003

Type species

From Latin 'minor' meaning 'smaller', originally applied when the specimens were named as Teratosaurus minor to note that they were smaller than Teratosaurus suevicus.

Holotype
SMNS 11838 , Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde
Material
Incomplete adult postcranium including dorsal vertebrae, one sacral centrum, a nearly complete right manus, phalanges of the left manus, pubes, right femur, tibia and fibula, and a partial right pes.
Horizon
Löwenstein Formation, Norian, Late Triassic , 227.3–205.7 million years ago
Locality
Weisser Steinbruch, Pfaffenhofen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

References

  1. Galton, P. M. (1973). On the anatomy and relationships of Efraasia diagnostica (Huene) n. gen., a prosauropod dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from the Upper Triassic of Germany. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 47(3-4): 229-255. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1007/bf02985709

    Erected the genus Efraasia.

    galton1973a
  2. Yates, A. M. (2003). The species taxonomy of the sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Löwenstein Formation (Norian, Late Triassic) of Germany. Palaeontology 46(2): 317-337. Wiley. doi:10.1111/j.0031-0239.2003.00301.x

    Erected the combination Efraasia minor and fixed SMNS 11838 as the holotype.

    yates2003b
  3. Molina-Pérez, R.; Larramendi, A. (2020). Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Sauropods and Other Sauropodomorphs. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass and hip height estimates.

    molina-pérez2020a
  4. Sues, H. D.; Schoch, R. R. (2025). Synopsis of the Triassic reptiles from Germany. Fossil Record 28(2): 411-483. Pensoft Publishers. doi:10.3897/fr.28.164405

    Gives the holotype's locality as Weisser Steinbruch at Pfaffenhofen and its horizon as the Löwenstein Formation, for which Stubensandstein is an informal facies label.

    sues2025a