Eifelosaurus triadicus Jaekel, 1904

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

Genus Eifelosaurus triadicus Jaekel, 1904

Holotype.

IGPB JAEKEL-1 , partial postcranial skeleton exposed in ventral view, comprising much of the dorsal vertebral column including ribs and gastralia, two sacral vertebrae, four complete caudal vertebrae and one partial one, much of the pelvis, complete left and incomplete caudal vertebrae right femur, and proximal end of left fibula or tibia (Fig. 5 B ).

Type locality.

Unidentified quarry south of Oberbettingen, Hillesheim, Vulkaneifel district, Rhineland-Palatinate.

Type horizon.

Kyllburg Beds, Ro ̈ t Formation, Upper Buntsandstein Subgroup. Age: Middle Triassic (Anisian: Aegean).

Referred material.

None.

Diagnosis.

No autapomorphies. Sues et al. (2022) tentatively considered Eifelosaurus triadicus a valid taxon because it can be clearly differentiated from other known early-diverging rhynchosaurs.

Comments.

F. Huene (1929) first interpreted Eifelosaurus triadicus as a rhynchosaur. The phylogenetic analysis by Sues et al. (2022) confirmed his assignment and found Eifelosaurus triadicus among Rhynchosauridae , more nested than the early-diverging rhynchosaurs from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Trirachodon-Kannemeyeria Subzone of the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone in South Africa ( Ezcurra et al. 2016). An aggregation of three juvenile skeletons from the Plattensandstein Formation of the former Kössig Quarry south of Rotfelden, Baden-Württemberg, represents a second record of Anisian-age rhynchosaurs from the Central European Basin; it is currently under study by the authors.

References.

Jaekel (1904), F. Huene (1929), Ezcurra et al. (2016), Sues et al. (2022).

Figures

Figure 5. Reptiles from the Upper Buntsandstein Subgroup. A. Non-archosaurian archosauriform Marcianosuchus angustifrons, holotype (SMNS 91318), disarticulated skeleton. Scale bar: 5 cm. B. Rhynchosaurid rhynchosaur Eifelosaurus triadicus, holotype (IGPB JAEKEL- 1), partial postcranial skeleton. Scale bar: 3 cm.