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Massospondylus kaalae

Reptilia - Massospondylidae

Taxonomy
Massospondylus kaalae was named by Barrett (2009). Its type specimen is SAM-PK-K1325, a partial skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is farm Voyizane (SAM), which is in a Hettangian/Sinemurian terrestrial sandstone in the Elliot Formation of South Africa.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2009Massospondylus kaalae Barrett p. 1033 figs. 1-8
2010Massospondylus kaalae Reisz et al. p. 1663
2011Massospondylus kaalae Yates et al. p. 610
2024Massospondylus kaalae Barrett and Choiniere p. 1

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
RankNameAuthor
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
—Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
—Crocopoda
—ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
—Eucrocopoda
—Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
—Ornithodira
—Dinosauromorpha
—Dinosauriformes
—Dinosauria()
—Saurischia()
—Eusaurischia
—Sauropodomorpha(Huene 1932)
—Massopoda
familyMassospondylidae
genusMassospondylus
specieskaalae

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.

†Massospondylus kaalae Barrett 2009
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
P. M. Barrett 2009A basal sauropodomorph dinosaur that can be distinguished from Massospondylus carinatus by the following combination of character states: premaxilla comprises >30% of the upper tooth row; dorsolateral ridge on the lacrimal more prominent than in M. carinatus; cultriform process of parabasisphenoid positioned ventral to the level of the basioccipital condyle; basipterygoid processes slender, elongate and unexpanded distally. Although none of these features are unique to M. kaalae they do not occur in this combination in any other taxon.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Entire body: yesg
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Created: 2005-08-24 13:31:14
Modified: 2005-08-24 15:31:14
Source: g = genus, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Peczkis 1995, Kiessling 2004

Age range: base of the Hettangian to the top of the Sinemurian or 201.40000 to 192.90000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Hettangian - Sinemurian201.4 - 192.9South Africa (Eastern Cape) Proosauropoda indet. (type locality: 47032)