A New Protorosaur from the Middle Triassic of China

Fraser, N. C., Rieppel, O., and L. Chun. 2013. A long-snouted protorosaur from the Middle Triassic of southern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33:1120-1126 DOI:10.1080/02724634.2013.764310

Abstract - A new protorosaur is described on the basis of a single specimen from the Ladinian of southern China. Although it has been greatly crushed, it still preserves clear details of the skull and axial skeleton. It possesses a neck that is longer than the trunk and is similar to tanystropheids in having 12 or 13 cervicals. Unusual among protorosaurs, the new form has an elongate snout. It also lacks a clear thyroid fenestra, although there is a slight separation of the pubis and ischium close to the pubic symphysis. The new form adds to the growing diversity and disparity of protorosaur taxa from the Middle Triassic of southern China.