Open Paleo

Tuebingosaurus

Fernández & Werneburg, 2022 tur-bin-jo-sor-us

Named after Tübingen, Germany (where the specimen was stored at the University of Tübingen), combined with Greek sauros meaning 'lizard'; translates as 'Tübingen lizard'

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

Tuebingosaurus is an extinct genus of massopodan sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Triassic Trossingen Formation of Germany. The genus contains a single species, Tuebingosaurus maierfritzorum, originally identified as a specimen of Plateosaurus. Its phylogenetic position is labile, recovered as a derived massopodan close to the origin of Sauropoda, most often near Schleitheimia.

Diagnosis

  1. Fused pair of primordial sacrals
  2. Robust and rugose expansion in postacetabular process of ilium
  3. Pentagonal distal tibia with additional posterior projection
  4. Deep lateroventral fossa on anterior margin of astragalus
  5. Ventrally directed heel with lateral projection supporting reduced calcaneum

Species

Tuebingosaurus maierfritzorum Fernández & Werneburg, 2022

Type species

Named for Wolfgang Maier and Uwe Fritz; the description was published as part of a Festschrift honoring Maier in the journal Vertebrate Zoology, of which Fritz is an editor.

Holotype
GPIT-PV-30787 , Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen (English: Institute for Geosciences, Tübingen University) / Institut und Museum für Geologie und Paläontologie der Universität Tübingen
Material
Complete pelvis, anterior caudal vertebrae, femur, tibia, fibulae, astragalus, calcaneum, metatarsal, pedal digits
Horizon
Trossingen Formation, Norian, Late Triassic , 227.3–205.7 million years ago
Locality
Obere Mühle, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

References

  1. Fernández, O. R. R.; Werneburg, I. (2022). A new massopodan sauropodomorph from Trossingen Formation (Germany) hidden as 'Plateosaurus' for 100 years in the historical Tübingen collection. Vertebrate Zoology 72: 771-822. Pensoft Publishers. doi:10.3897/vz.72.e86348 fernández2022a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Sauropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates.

    jones2026b