Antetonitrus ingenipes Antetonitrus
"Etymology TBD"
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Antetonitrus 10 m (33 ft) long
6 people holding hands
- Length
- 10 m (33 ft)
- Period
- Early Jurassic (201–174 Mya)
- Place
- Africa · South Africa
- Food
- Herbivore
- Clade
- Lessemsauridae
Antetonitrus is a genus of sauropodiform dinosaur found in the Early Jurassic Elliot Formation of South Africa. The only species is Antetonitrus ingenipes. Sometimes considered a basal sauropod, it is crucial for the understanding of the origin and early evolution of this group. It was a quadrupedal herbivore, like its later relatives, but shows primitive adaptations to use the forelimbs for grasping, instead of purely for weight support.
What we know
- Named by Yates & Kitching, 2003.
- Body length estimated at about 10 m.
- Fossils found in Africa and South Africa.