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OnStaurikosaums pricei, an early saurischian dinosaur from the Triassic of Brazil, with notes on the Herrerasauridae and Poposauridae

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Abstract

The anatomy of the saurischian dinosaurStaurikosaums pricei Colbert from the Santa Maria Formation (Middle or Upper Triassic) of Rio do Sul, Brazil is redescribed.Staurikosaurus has 9 (or possibly 10) short cervicals, 15 dorsals and 2 sacral vertebrae, a modified brachyiliac pelvic girdle and an elongate hindlimb with the tibia longer than the femur.

The new family Staurikosauridae is erected, the Herrerasauridae is redefined, and both families are considered to be Saurischia incertae sedis. The distal part of the “femur” ofPoposaurus gracilis Mehl (Upper Triassic, North America) is the ventral part of the pubes with a footed distal end but, because some members of the Poposauridae have an imperforate acetabulum, this family is transferred from the Saurischia (Theropoda, Carnosauria) to the Thecodontia (Pseudosuchia).

Zusammenfassung

Die Anatomie des SaurischiersStaurikosaurus pricei Colbert aus der mittel- oder obertriassischen Santa-Maria-Formation von Rio do Sul in Brasilien wird neu beschrieben: 9 oder 10 kurze Halswirbel, 15 Rücken- und zwei Sakralwirbel, modifiziertes Becken mit kurzem Ilium, lange Hinterextremitäten, Tibia länger als Femur. Begründung von Staurikosauridae nova fam., genauere Definition der Herrerasauridae. Beide Familien sind Saurisdiia incertae sedis. Der distale Teil des »Femurs« vonPoposaurus gracilis Mehl (Obere Trias, Nordamerika) ist der ventrale Teil des distalen Pubis-Endes. Wegen des imperforaten Acetabulums einiger Vertreter der Poposauridae wird diese Familie nicht mehr wie bisher den Saurisdiia (Theropoda, Carnosauria), sondern den Thecodontia (Pseudosuchia) zugerechnet.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Bridgeport, 06602, Bridgeport, Conn., U.S.A

    Peter M. Galton

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Galton, P.M. OnStaurikosaums pricei, an early saurischian dinosaur from the Triassic of Brazil, with notes on the Herrerasauridae and Poposauridae. Paläont. Z. 51, 234–245 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986571

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