Episode 150 is all about Antetonitrus, a sauropodomorph whose name means “Before the thunder,” because it lived before Brontosaurus.

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In this episode, we discuss:

News:

The dinosaur of the day: Antetonitrus

Sauropodiforme that lived in the Triassic/Jurassic (boundary) in what is now South Africa (Elliot Formation)

Named in 2003 by Adam Yates (co-authored by James Kitching)

Type species (and only species) is Antetonitrus ingenipes

Name means “Before the thunder”, which refers to it existing before Brontosaurus and other known sauropods

Species name means “massive foot”

Fossils were found in 1981 by Kitching, and they were stored at the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

They were originally labeled as Euskelosaurus, until Yates suggested they were a separate taxon

The holotype consists of vertebrae and bones from the forelimb and hind limb

Five limb bones from a smaller specimen were also referred to Antetonitrus

Holotype was about 26-33 ft (8-10 m) long, but the neural arches of the vertebrae were not fused with the centra, so it may not have been fully grown

Had a long neck

Skull is not known

Mostly quadrupedal herbivore, but had primitive adaptations to use forelimbs for grasping, in addition to supporting its weight

Had forelimbs that were longer than its hindlimbs

The first digit of its hand (the “thumb” or pollex”) were still flexible and capable of grasping (later sauropods had large, thick wrist bones, and their hands were locked in a way to support its weight full time)

Antetonitrus did have broader, thicker wrist bones, so it shows an adaptation

Feet show the beginning of developing to support great weight

Also the first toe on its foot had a claw, though it wasn’t sickle shaped like in later sauropods

Could be a transitional link between bipedal sauropodomorphs and quadrupedal sauropods

Not necessarily a direct ancestor to sauropods however. Scientists have classified it as a sauropodiforme (an animal that has features related to the origin of sauropods)

Closely resembles Blikanasaurus and Lessemsaurus (but both of those are poorly known)

Fun Fact:

Back in 2007 the lead author on the crustaceans-in-poo article, Karen Chin, also reported on dinosaurs eating wood. That time while studying the Two Medicine formation and coprolite believed to be from Maiasaura.