Efraasia minor (F. Huene, 1908)

Sues, Hans-Dieter & Schoch, Rainer R., 2025, Synopsis of the Triassic reptiles from Germany, Fossil Record 28 (2), pp. 411-483 : 411-483

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.28.164405
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E2366C87-D1C3-4F5A-A21D-1A7A5D49BB8F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17824167
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/07100BE8-30A5-59B1-913C-28C94EB31114
treatment provided by	by Pensoft
scientific name	Efraasia minor (F. Huene, 1908)
status

Treatment

Holotype.

SMNS 11838 About SMNS , incomplete adult postcranial skeleton consisting of dorsal vertebrae, one sacral centrum, nearly complete right manus, some phalanges from left manus, pubes, right femur, tibia, and fibula, and partial right pes.

Type locality.

“ Weisser Steinbruch ” near Pfaffenhofen, Baden-Württemberg.

Type horizon.

Middle Stubensandstein (S 2), Löwenstein Formation (equivalent of Arnstadt Formation in the basin), Middle Keuper Subgroup. Age: Late Triassic (Norian: Lacian-Alaunian).

Referred material.

SMNS 12188 –12192 ( holotype of Sellosaurus fraasi F. Huene, 1908 ), 12354, 12667 ( holotype of Palaeosaurus? diagnosticus F. Huene, 1932), 12684, and 17928. Yates (2003) tentatively referred three additional specimens, SMNS 12216 , 12668, and 14881 to this species. All specimens are from the type locality except SMNS 17928 , which was recovered from the lower part of the Löwenstein Formation in the Goesel Quarry, Ochsenbach, Ludwigsburg district, Baden-Württemberg.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished by the following combination of features: phalanx I- 1 of manual digit I longer than metacarpal I; and distal portion of pubis not expanded anteroposteriorly ( Schaeffer 2024).

Comments.

Recent phylogenetic analyses ( Marsh and Rowe 2018; Regalado Fernández and Werneburg 2022; Schaeffer 2024 a) have consistently recovered Efraasia minor as an early-diverging sauropodomorph dinosaur. Yates (2003) argued that Palaeosaurus? diagnosticus F. Huene, 1932 is a subjective junior synonym of Teratosaurus? minor F. Huene, 1908 , which has page priority over Sellosaurus fraasi F. Huene, 1908 . Thus, the correct binomen should be Efraasia minor (F. Huene, 1908) . Later authors including Bronzati and Rauhut (2017) have adopted this taxonomic usage.

References.

F. Huene (1907–1908, 1932 b), Galton (1973), Yates (2003), Bronzati and Rauhut (2017), Schaeffer (2024).