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Instytut Paleobiologii, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 2(54), p. 221-230, 2009

DOI: 10.4202/app.2008.0065

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The Taxonomy and Anatomy of Rauisuchian Archosaurs from the Late Triassic of Germany and Poland

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

G. 2009. The taxonomy and anatomy of rauisuchian archosaurs from the Late Triassic of Germany and Poland. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 54 (2): 221–230. DOI: 10.4202/app.2008.0065 The German Late Triassic archosaur Teratosaurus suevicus is a historically important taxon, being the first described rauisuchian. Unfortunately the holotype is a single element, a maxilla, which is poorly preserved and incomplete. We redescribe this maxilla and identify a single potential autapomorphy. The fragmentary type specimen complicates attempts to refer additional material to this taxon, and other unassociated archosaur and rauisuchian specimens from the Mittlerer Stubensandstein of Germany cannot be referred to T. suevicus with any degree of confidence. The strati− graphically older T. silesiacus, from the upper Carnian of Poland, is represented by a much more complete and better preserved specimen. Comparison of the maxillae of T. suevicus and T. silesiacus reveals that the two are distinct taxa, contra recent suggestions, but also that they do not share any synapomorphies or a unique combination of characters relative to Postosuchus kirkpatricki and other rauisuchians. Thus, the Polish material must be transferred to a new genus, Polonosuchus gen. nov. Both Polonosuchus and Teratosaurus are very similar to Postosuchus kirkpatricki, and the three taxa are likely closely related.], Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW75BD, UK; present address: Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Rich− ard−Wagner−Straße 10, 80333 München, Germany; Tomasz Sulej [sulej@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, ul.