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Chirotheriidae

Reptilia - Chirotheriidae

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1853Chelonichnium Schimper p. 10
1906Chirotherium ibericus Navás
1935Chirotheriidae Abel p. 67
1941Chirotherium angustum Huene p. 5
1941Thecodontichnus fucinii Huene p. 5–6
1948Chirotheriidae Peabody p. 340
1948Chirotherium angustum Peabody p. 347
1952Chirotheriidae Bock p. 410
1952Chirotherium lulli Bock pp. 415-416
1952Chirotherium huberi Bock pp. 416-417 figs. Pl. 47:1
1952Chirotherium wondrai Heller p. 131 fig. 1
1952Chirotherium angustum Heller p. 134
1954Chirotherium lulli Baird p. 167
1954Chirotherium angustum Baird p. 174
1954Chirotherium wondrai Baird p. 174
1957Chirotheriidae Baird p. 473
1957Chirotherium lulli Baird p. 482
1957Chirotherium wondrai Baird p. 482
1958Chirotherium angustum Kuhn p. 21
1958Chirotherium huberi Kuhn p. 21
1958Chirotherium lulli Kuhn p. 21
1958Chirotherium wondrai Kuhn p. 21
1958Thecodontichnus fucinii Kuhn p. 23
1959Chirotherium lulli Bock p. 132
1959Chirotherium wondrai Schmidt p. 103
1959Thecodontichnus fucinii Schmidt p. 105
1959Chirotherium lulli Schmidt p. 106
1963Chirotheriidae Kuhn p. 67
1963Chirotherium lulli Kuhn p. 72
1963Chirotherium wondrai Kuhn p. 74
1963Thecodontichnus fucinii Kuhn p. 88
1964Shimmelia Casamiquela p. 139
1964Shimmelia chirotheroides Casamiquela pp. 139-140 figs. Pl. XV, XVI
1964Chirotheriidae Kuhn p. 320
1966Chirotheriidae Kuhn p. 75
1967Dahutherium Lapparent and Montenat p. 33
1967Swinnertonichnus Sarjeant p. 332
1967Swinnertonichnus mapperleyensis Sarjeant p. 333 figs. 3; Pl. 14
1968Dahutherium Montenat p. 373
1968Dahutherium agilis Montenat p. 373 figs. Pl. 1"4; Pl. II:8–9
1969Chirotheriidae Haubold p. 91
1969Dahutherium Haubold p. 97
1970Paratrisauropus Ellenberger p. 345
1970Deuterosauropodopus Ellenberger p. 346
1970Deuterosauropodopus minor Ellenberger p. 346
1971Brachychirotherium tintanti Demathieu p. 814
1971Chirotheriidae Haubold p. 52
1971Chirotherium lulli Haubold p. 55
1971Chirotherium wondrai Haubold p. 55
1971Brachychirotherium tintanti Haubold p. 57
1971Dahutherium Haubold p. 63
1971Swinnertonichnus Haubold p. 69
1971Swinnertonichnus mapperleyensis Haubold p. 69
1971Shimmelia chirotheroides Haubold p. 101
1972Brachychirotherium tintanti Demathieu and Haubold p. 805
1972Chirotherium wondrai Demathieu and Haubold p. 805
1972Dahutherium Demathieu and Haubold p. 805
1972Dahutherium agilis Demathieu and Haubold p. 805
1972Swinnertonichnius Demathieu and Haubold p. 806
1972Swinnertonichnius mapperleyensis Demathieu and Haubold p. 806
1972Deuterosauropodopus minor Ellenberger p. 90
1972Deuterosauropodopus Ellenberger p. 152
1972Paratrisauropus Ellenberger p. 152
1974Paratrisauropus Ellenberger p. 17
1974Chirotheriidae Gand p. 8
1974Dahutherium Gand p. 9
1974Chirotheriidae Haubold p. 39
1974Dahutherium Haubold p. 40
1974Swinnertonichnus Haubold p. 43
1974Swinnertonichnus mapperleyensis Haubold p. 115
1974Brachychirotherium tintanti Haubold p. 117
1974Dahutherium agilis Haubold p. 117
1974Chirotherium lulli Haubold p. 122
1974Chirotherium wondrai Haubold p. 122
1975Shimmelia Casamiquela p. 558
1975Shimmelia chirotheroides Casamiquela p. 558
1975Swinnertonichnus Sarjeant p. 304
1975Swinnertonichnus mapperleyensis Sarjeant p. 307
1976Chirotherium wondrai Courel and Demathieu p. 204
1979Chirotherium catalaunicum Casanovas-Cladellas et al.
1980Chirotherium angustum Tongiorgi p. 81
1980Thecodontichnus fucinii Tongiorgi p. 81
1981Pseudochirotherium Biron and Dutuit p. 409
1981Pseudochirotherium oukaimedensis Biron and Dutuit p. 409 figs. fig. 6, Pl. IIM
1981Pentichnus Biron and Dutuit p. 410
1981Pentichnus largus Biron and Dutuit p. 410 figs. fig. 7, Pl. IIH, I
1981Shimmelia chirotheroides Leonardi p. 931
1982Deuterosauropodopus sedunensis Demathieu and Weidmann p. 746 figs. 13B, 14A
1982Pachysaurichnium Demathieu and Weidmann p. 749
1982Pachysaurichnium emossonense Demathieu and Weidmann p. 749 figs. 13C, 14B
1984Brachychirotherium minor Olsen and Galton p. 96 fig. 3
1986Chirotherium huberi Conrad and Lockley p. 13
1986Chirotherium lulli Olsen and Baird p. 21
1987Chirotherium huberi Conrad et al. p. 131
2003Paratrisauropus Romero Molina et al. p. 24
2003Chirotherium lulli Szajna and Hartline p. 268
2007Chirotheridae Calvo p. 318
2007Shimmelia Calvo p. 318
2007Shimmelia chirotheroides Calvo p. 318–319
2007Brachychirotherium tintanti Gand et al. p. 12
2007Dahutherium agilis Gand et al. p. 20
2007Paratrisauropus Irmis et al. p. 16
2012Brachychirotherium tintanti Gand et al. p. 68

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Life
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
RankNameAuthor
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
Pseudosuchia(Zittel 1890)
familyChirotheriidaeAbel 1935
familyChirotheriidaeAbel 1935

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. †Chirotheriidae Abel 1935
show all | hide all
G. †Brachychirotherium Beurlen 1950
+
Brachychirotherium gallicum Willruth 1917
Brachychirotherium hauboldi Ptaszynski 1990
Brachychirotherium hessei Soergel 1925
Brachychirotherium kalkowensis Niedzwiedzki and Ptaszynski 2007
Brachychirotherium kuhni Demathieu and Haubold 1982
Brachychirotherium pachydactylum Demathieu and Gand 1973
Brachychirotherium paraparvum Demathieu and Oosterink 1988
Brachychirotherium parvum Hitchcock 1889
+
Invalid names: Agrestipus hottoni Weems 1987 [synonym], Chirotherium copei Bock 1952 [synonym]
Brachychirotherium thuringiacum Rühle von Lilienstern 1938
+
Invalid names: Brachychirotherium coburgense Aumann 1957 [synonym], Brachychirotherium dulcis Ellenberger 1970 [synonym], Brachychirotherium hassfurtense Beurlen 1950 [synonym]
Brachychirotherium wiorense Ptaszynski 2000
G. †Chirotherium Kaup 1835
+
Chirotherium atlensis Biron and Dutuit 1981
Chirotherium barthii Kaup 1835
+
Invalid names: Chirotherium bairdi Reig 1961 [synonym], Chirotherium gallicum Willruth 1917 [synonym], Chirotherium higuerensis Rusconi 1952 [synonym], Chirotherium kaupii Owen 1842 [synonym], Chirotherium majus Sickler 1836 [synonym], Chirotherium pfeifferi Soergel 1925 [synonym], Saurichnites auraensis Kirchner 1927 [synonym], Saurichnites gambaensis Schuster 1936 [synonym]
Chirotherium culmbachense Soergel 1925
Chirotherium ferox Demathieu 1966
Chirotherium herculis Egerton 1839
Chirotherium ladinicus Avanzini and Wachtler 2012
Chirotherium mediterraneum Demathieu and Durand 1991
Chirotherium peabodyi Faber 1958
Chirotherium praeparvum Haubold 1967
Chirotherium reiteri Moore 1873
Chirotherium rex Peabody 1948
+
Invalid names: Chirotherium moquiensis Peabody 1948 [synonym]
Chirotherium sickleri Kaup 1835
+
Invalid names: Chirotherium beasleyi Nopcsa 1923 [synonym], Chirotherium bipes Berthold 1835 [synonym], Chirotherium bornemanni Willruth 1917 [synonym], Chirotherium minus Sickler 1836 [synonym]
Chirotherium soergeli Haubold 1969
Chirotherium swinnertoni Sarjeant 1970
Chirotherium vorbachi Kirchner 1927
Invalid names: Chirosaurus Kaup 1835 [synonym], Krokodilipus Nopcsa 1923 [synonym], Quadridigitus Biron and Dutuit 1981 [synonym], Saurichnites Geinitz 1861 [synonym], Sphingopus Demathieu 1966 [synonym]
G. †Isochirotherium Haubold 1971
+
Isochirotherium coltoni Peabody 1948
Isochirotherium coureli Demathieu 1970
Isochirotherium delicatum Courel and Demathieu 1976
Isochirotherium felenci Courel and Demathieu 1976
Isochirotherium gardettensis Petti et al. 2020
Isochirotherium gierlinskii Ptaszynski 2000
Isochirotherium herculis Egerton 1839
Isochirotherium jenense Haubold 1970
Isochirotherium lomasi Baird 1954
Isochirotherium marshalli Peabody 1948
Isochirotherium sanctacrucense Ptaszynski 1990
Isochirotherium soergeli Haubold 1969
G. †Parasynaptichnium Mietto 1987
G. †Protochirotherium Fichter and Kunz 2004
+
Protochirotherium wolfhagense Fichter and Kunz 2004
Invalid names: Palaeochirotherium Fichter and Kunz 2011 [synonym]
G. †Sauropodopus Ellenberger 1970
+
Sauropodopus antiquus Ellenberger 1970
+
Invalid names: Deuterosauropodopus major Ellenberger 1970 [synonym]
G. †Synaptichnium Nopcsa 1923
+
Synaptichnium argantobrivense Demathieu and Gand 1981
Synaptichnium chirotherioides Ptaszynski 1990
Synaptichnium diabloensis Peabody 1948
Synaptichnium hildburghausense Lilienstern 1939
Synaptichnium kotanskii Ptaszynski 2000
Synaptichnium motutongense Ellenberger 1974
Synaptichnium priscum Demathieu 1970
Synaptichnium senkowiczowae Niedzwiedzki and Ptaszynski 2007
Invalid names: Brachychirotherium tintanti Demathieu 1971 [nomen dubium], Chelonichnium Schimper 1853 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium angustum Huene 1941 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium catalaunicum Casanovas-Cladellas et al. 1979 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium huberi Bock 1952 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium ibericum Navás 1906 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium lulli Bock 1952 [nomen dubium], Chirotherium wondrai Heller 1952 [nomen dubium], Dahutherium Montenat 1968 [nomen nudum], Deuterosauropodopus Ellenberger 1970 [nomen dubium], Deuterosauropodopus minor Ellenberger 1970 [nomen dubium], Pachysaurichnium Demathieu and Weidmann 1982 [nomen dubium], Paratrisauropus Ellenberger 1970 [nomen dubium], Pentichnus Biron and Dutuit 1981 [nomen dubium], Pseudochirotherium Biron and Dutuit 1981 [nomen dubium], Shimmelia Casamiquela 1964 [nomen dubium], Swinnertonichnus Sarjeant 1967 [nomen dubium], Thecodontichnus fucinii Huene 1941 [nomen dubium]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
F. E. Peabody 1948Relatively narrow, quadrupedal trackways indicating the normal tetrapod walking gait; in the walking gait a small pentadactyl manus impression regularly occurs immediately in front of, but never overlapped by a much larger, pentadactyl pes which generally resembles a reversed human hand. Manus and pes are digitigrade, and in large forms the pes tends to be plantigrade; digits I-IV point more or less forward, manus digit IV is always shorter than III, digit V is divergent and well developed as a crude prop for the foot; strong elaws are indicated on digits I-IV, infrequently on V of manus and pes, claw on III being largest; the footprints mayor may not show specialized metatarsal and phalangeal pads. Clear impressions often show a granular or beaded skin surface.
Reptiles represented by trackways probably dinosaur-like in form, and in body propor­ tions showed arrested tendency toward bipedalism. In smallest species pes only 3 cm.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Diet: carnivoresubo
Created: 2009-01-03 20:38:45
Modified: 2009-01-03 22:38:45
Source: subo = suborder, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Benton 1983

Age range: base of the Buntsandstein to the top of the Turonian or 265.00000 to 89.80000 Ma

Collections (216 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Artinskian - Capitanian290.1 - 259.9Poland (Lower Silesia) Saurichnites divaricatus, Saurichnites gracilis (223853) Saurichnites leisnerianus (187930)
Buntsandstein265.0 - 252.3Germany (Bavaria) Chirotherium vorbachi (205801) Saurichnites auraensis (205802) Saurichnites auraensis, Chirotherium vorbachi (205800)
Wuchiapingian - Olenekian259.9 - 247.2Argentina (Río Negro) Shimmelia chirotheroides (53684)
Induan252.17 - 251.2China (Guizhou) Chirotherium sp. (60516)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2Italy (Cuneo) Chirotherium sp., Isochirotherium sp., Isochirotherium gardettensis (224578)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2Niger (Agadez) Chirotherium sp. (200662)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) Chirotherium barthii (222574)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2Morocco (Marrakech-Safi) Synaptichnium sp., Protochirotherium sp. (199897 199898 199899 199900)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2Spain (Islas Baleares) Chirotherium sp. (95349)
Early/Lower Triassic252.17 - 247.2United Kingdom (England) Chirotherium herculis (164932) Synaptichnium sp., Chirotherium storetonense, Chirotherium minus, Chirotherium vorbachi, Isochirotherium lomasi, Isochirotherium bipedale, Chirotherium sp., Chirotherium minus (164930)

Youngest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state PBDB collection number
Norian - Rhaetian228.0 - 201.3Lesotho (Mohale's Hoek) Deuterosauropodopus major (56020)
Lacian - Alaunian221.5 - 212.0USA (Virginia) Agrestipus hottoni (68890) Brachychirotherium parvum (68889)
Rhaetian208.5 - 201.3USA (Pennsylvania) Brachychirotherium sp. (62767 132244) Brachychirotherium sp., Chirotherium lulli (62766)
Rhaetian208.5 - 201.3USA (Colorado) Brachychirotherium sp. (192942 193012)
Rhaetian208.5 - 201.3USA (Utah) Brachychirotherium sp. (192896 192897 192915 192916 192941)
Rhaetian208.5 - 201.3France (Pays de la Loire) Chirotherium sp. (70801)
Hettangian - Sinemurian201.3 - 190.8Lesotho (Quthing) Pseudotetrasauropus dulcis (56003) Synaptichnium motutongense (84072)
Sinemurian199.3 - 190.8Lesotho (Leribe) Chirotherium sp., Dinosauria indet. (56014)
Late/Upper Kimmeridgian155.7 - 150.8France (Ain) Chelonichnium cerinense (59351)
Turonian93.9 - 89.8Egypt (Aswan) Chirotherium sp. (138680)