Tanystropheus antiquus, Huene, 1905

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

“ Tanystropheus ” antiquus Huene, 1905 b

Syntypes.

SMNS 16687 , SMNS 10110 (designated by Wild (1973) as lectotype), MGUWr 3872 s, MGUWr 3888 s, MGUWr 3895 s, MGUWr 3902 s and several uncatalogued MGUWr specimens, all isolated cervical vertebrae.

Type locality.

Gogolin and Krapkowice, Górny Śląsk (former Upper Silesia), Poland.

Type horizon.

Myophoria vulgaris , Beneckeia buchi , and Dadocrinus Zone , lower part of Gogolin Formation (equivalent of Jena Formation), Lower Muschelkalk Subgroup. Age: Middle Triassic (Anisian: Aegean).

Referred material (from Germany).

Spiekman and Scheyer (2019) tentatively referred specimens from the Lower Muschelkalk Subgroup of Rüdersdorf near Berlin, Jena, and possibly Bonnhof, Bavaria, to “ Tanystropheus ” antiquus .

Diagnosis.

Distinguished by length of cervical centra less than three times minimum height ( Fraser and Rieppel 2006).

Comments.

Although “ Tanystropheus ” antiquus presumably represents a distinct taxon there has historically been a great deal of confusion concerning the type material. It was long rumored that the specimens studied by F. Huene (1905 b, 1907–1908) had been lost during World War II, but Skawiński et al. (2017) reported that the fossils still exist. Sennikov (2011) proposed a separate genus Protanystropheus for the reception of “ Tanystropheus ” antiquus . Until the possibly referable material has been reanalyzed, it is impossible to assess the validity of this taxon and its phylogenetic relationships.

References.

F. Huene (1905 b, 1907–1908), Wild (1973, 1980), Fraser and Rieppel (2006), Sennikov (2011), Skawiński et al. (2017), Spiekman and Scheyer (2019), Spiekman et al. (2021).