Thotobolo ea 'Ma-beata (zone A/4): Norian, Lesotho
collected by M. Motsoane, P. Ellenberger, A. Crompton 1955- 1956, 1959, 1963, 1970

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Gymnospermopsida - Corystospermales - Corystospermaceae
Dicroidium sp. Gothan 1912
Ellenberger 1970
Reptilia
Ellenberger and Ginsburg 1966 2 specimens
teeth
    = Rauisuchia indet. Huene 1942
Peyre de Fabrègues and Allain 2020
Ellenberger and Ellenberger 1956 7 individuals
"near Melanorosaurus or Plateosauravus"
Ellenberger and Ginsburg 1966
Ellenberger 1970
"Bête de Maphutseng", "Maphutseng Dinosaur"; MNHN.F.LES375
Peyre de Fabrègues and Allain 2020
MNHN.F.LES381m, R tibia; MNHN.F.LES153, incomplete L postorbital; MNHN.F.LES54, incomplete R postorbital; MNHN.F.LES169, posterior cervical vertebra; MNHN.F.LES397, incomplete anterior dorsal vertebral neural arch; MNHN.F.LES32, incomplete middle dorsal vertebra; MNHN.F.LES155, sacral vertebra; MNHN.F.LES168 and MNHN.F.LES376, 2 incomplete anterior caudal vertebrae; MNHN.F.LES386, L scapula; MNHN.F.LES379, L humerus; MNHN.F.LES159, R ulna; MNHN.F.LES147, R radius; MNHN.F.LES26, R metacarpal I; MNHN.F.LES92, L metacarpal II (MNHN.F.LES92); MNHN.F.LES93, R metacarpal III; MNHN.F.LES76, incomplete R metacarpal IV; MNHN.F.LES29, L phalanx I-1; MNHN.F.LES375a, R ilium; MNHN.F.LES378, L pubis; MNHN.F.LES152, incomplete L ischium; MNHN.F.LES394, R femur; MNHN.F.LES37, R fibula; MNHN.F.LES89, L metatarsal I; MNHN.F.LES81, L metatarsal II; MNHN.F.LES82, L metatarsal III; MNHN.F.LES77, L metatarsal V
see common names

Geography
Country:Lesotho State/province:Mohale's Hoek
Coordinates: 30.2° South, 27.5° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:51.9° South, 9.2° East (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period: Triassic Epoch: Late Triassic
Stage: Norian 10 m.y. bin: Triassic 4
Key time interval: Norian
Age range of interval: 227.3 - 205.7 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Stormberg Formation:Elliot Member:Lower
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: base of red beds, with "typical Molteno facies"; ca. 20 m below Maphutseng tracksite
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:lenticular sandstone
Secondary lithology: claystone
Includes fossils?Y
Environment:lacustrine indet.
Geology comments: "a sort of hard-ground lake"
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Degree of concentration:concentrated
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Associated major elements:many
Disassociated major elements:some
Disassociated minor elements:some
Fragmentation:frequent
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:selective quarrying,surface (float),surface (in situ),field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collectors:M. Motsoane, P. Ellenberger, A. Crompton Collection dates:Aug 1955-Feb 1956, 1959, 1963, 1970
Metadata
Also known as:Maphutseng Bone Bed, Euskelosaurus cemetery
Database number:56018
Authorizer:M. Carrano Enterer:M. Carrano
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2005-11-10 10:53:07 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2005-11-10 10:53:07
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
16653.ETE P. Ellenberger. 1955. Note préliminaire sur les pistes et les restes osseux de Vertébrés du Basutoland (Afrique du Sud) [Prelimiinary note on the trackways and bony remains of vertebrates from Basutoland (southern Africa)]. Comptes Rendus des Séances de l'Academie des Sciences, Paris 240:889-891 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]

Secondary references:

15107ETE F. Ellenberger and P. Ellenberger. 1956. Le gisement de Dinosauriens de Maphutseng (Basutoland, Afrique du Sud) [The Maphutseng dinosaur locality (Basutoland, South Africa)]. Comptes Rendus de la Société géologique de France 1956:99-101 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
30847ETE F. Ellenberger, P. Ellenberger, and L. Ginsburg. 1969. The appearance and evolution of dinosaurs in the Trias and Lias: a comparison between South African Upper Karoo and western Europe based on vertebrate footprints. Gondwana Stratigraphy, IUGS Symposium, Buenos Aires, 1-15 October 1967; UNESCO, Paris 2:333-354 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
16652ETE F. Ellenberger and L. Ginsburg. 1966. Le gisement de Dinosauriens triasiques de Maphutseng (Basutoland) et l'origine des Sauropodes [The Triassic dinosaur locality of Maphutseng (Basutoland) and the origin of sauropods]. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris, Série D 262:444-447 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
28154ETE P. Ellenberger. 1970. Les niveaux paléontologiques de première apparition des mammifères primoridaux en Afrique du Sud et leur ichnologie. Establissement de zones stratigraphiques detaillees dans le Stormberg du Lesotho (Afrique du Sud) (Trias Supérieur à Jurassique) [The paleontological levels of the first appearance of primordial mammals in southern Africa and their ichnology. Establishment of detailed stratigraphic zones in the Stormberg of Lesotho (southern Africa) (Upper Triassic to Jurassic). In: S. H. Haughton (ed.), Second Symposium on Gondwana Stratigraphy and Paleontology, International Union of Geological Sciences. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria 343-370 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
59099 R. Furon. 1963. Geology of Africa. xii-377 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
28077ETE F.-X. Gauffre. 1993. Biochronostratigraphy of the lower Elliot Formation (southern Africa) and preliminary results on the Maphutseng dinosaur (Saurischia: Prosauropoda) from the same formation of Lesotho. In S. G. Lucas and M. Morales (eds.), The Nonmarine Triassic. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 3:147-149 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
35638 F. Knoll. 2004. Review of the tetrapod fauna of the "Lower Stormberg Group" of the main Karoo Basin (southern Africa): implication for the age of the Lower Elliot Formation. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 175(1):73-83 [R. Butler/R. Butler/M. Carrano]
78574 B. W. McPhee, A. M. Yates, J. N. Choiniere and F. Abdala. 2014. The complete anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Antetonitrus ingenipes (Sauropodiformes, Dinosauria): implications for the origins of Sauropoda. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171(1):151-205 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
57883 C. Peyre de Fabrègues and R. Allain. 2016. New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho. PeerJ 4:e1639:1-32 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
72974 C. Peyre de Fabrègues and R. Allain. 2020. Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum, gen. et sp. nov., a new early sauropodomorph from the lower Elliot Formation (Upper Triassic) of Maphutseng, Lesotho. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 39(6):e1732996:1-32 [E. Dunne/E. Dunne/M. Carrano]
62678 O. A. Reig. 1970. The Proterosuchia and the early evolution of the archosaurs; an essay about the origin of a major taxon. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 139(5):229-292 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
86234 L. Sciscio, E. M. Bordy, M. G. Lockley and M. Abrahams. 2023. Basal sauropodomorph locomotion: ichnological lessons from the Late Triassic trackways of bipeds and quadrupeds (Elliot Formation, main Karoo Basin). PeerJ 11:e15970:1-44 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]