| Name | Plateosaurus | Diet | Herbivorous |
| Name Meaning | “Flat Lizard or Broad Lizard” | Height | 2.74-3.0 meters (9-10 feet) |
| Pronunciation | PLAT-ee-oh-sore-us | Length | 4.8-10.0 meters (16-33 feet) |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Triassic | Weight | 0.65-4.4 short tons (1,300-8,800 lbs) |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia, & Sauropoda | Location | France, Switzerland, Germany (Europe) |
Plateosaurus Pictures
The Plateosaurus
Plateosaurus, otherwise known as the “flat lizard,” was initially discovered by physician Johann Friedrich Engelhardt in 1834, but this species was named in 1837 by Herman von Meyer.
This dinosaur was named Plateosaurus, which means “broad lizard” or sometimes “flat lizard” due to its heavy build and large shape.
Several Plateosaurus remains were found in the Swabia area in Germany, which earned the animal the nickname “Swabian lindworm.”
Experts have explained that this plateosaurid dinosaur existed about 227-208 million years ago during the Late Triassic period, and they lived in places now recognized as Northern and Central Europe.
Interestingly, Plateosaurus is one of the few dinosaurs with enough fossils to study—there are over 100 skeletons available, with some nearly complete.
However, at one point, the dinosaur was not well known and hardly recognized as a dinosaur, so much so that when Richard Owen described and named Dinosauria in 1842, it was not part of the three genera used to define the group.
This was even though Plateosaurus was unearthed years before Dinosauria was named.
Since Plateosaurus is one of the oldest dinosaur genera found, it has helped paleontologists know more about prosauropods and sauropods, the supposed descendants of Plateosaurus.
There is much to learn about the physical characteristics, habitat, diet, behavior, and evolution of Plateosaurus.
Read on to learn more about one of the most ancient creatures in history.
Physical Characteristics
Plateosaurus are dinosaurs under the Sauropodomorpha clade and fall under the prosauropods subgroups.
Seeing as these dinosaurs are early sauropodomorphs, researchers believe that they (prosauropods) are the ancestors of sauropods, although others are of the opinion that both subgroups have an unknown ancestor.
Plateosaurus is characterized by elongated body parts, such as necks, vertebrae, and teeth.
These dinosaurs had two to three sacral vertebrae, and the femur was longer than the tibia.
Additionally, they were presumably bipedal, so they walked on their hind legs.
However, some paleontologists have moved the notion that this species most likely walked on all four limbs sometimes, probably when they wanted to move at a slower pace.
Paleontologists have also pointed out that Plateosaurus had a heavyweight tail that helped with balance.
Further studies have shown that Plateosaurus was indeed bipedal and not quadrupedal because its front limbs were too short to be categorized as front legs.
This species also had a thumb claw and five-fingered hands, which most people believe were used to grasp food or defend themselves.
Generally, sauropodomorphs, including Plateosaurus, did not have cheeks, and this made it impossible for them to chew food without it falling out.
Therefore, they had to bite their food and swallow it once.
Plateosaurus had leaf-shaped or spatulate teeth that proved helpful in crushing food once so they could swallow immediately.
In the same vein, some prosauropods possessed beaks and were bipedal.
As a prosauropod, we can infer that Plateosaurus had similar features.
Concerning size, adult Plateosaurus could weigh between 1,300 and 8,800 pounds and measure about 16-33 feet in length. They could also reach a height of 9-10 feet.
If you compare this size with other sauropodomorphs that could reach a max length of 65 feet, you would realize that Plateosaurus were not so large.
Still, several fossils show signs of size variations, which may result from several environmental factors, with one likely factor being the availability of food.
Plateosaurus that did not have so much access to food could not grow as big as their counterparts that had access to enough means of sustenance.
They also had small skulls and, by extension, tiny brains.
In contrast, Plateosaurus had huge lungs held in place by a barrel-shaped rib cage.
This helped them take really deep breaths, which would have been a massive lifesaver for these dinosaurs as the Late Triassic period had considerably low oxygen.
In addition, scientists have reasons to believe that Plateosaurus was endothermic, meaning they could generate their own heat.
Finally, Plateosaurus had a long snout and eyes positioned at the sides of the head rather than at the front.
This would have made it easy for them to watch their surroundings and spot predators.
Habitat and Distribution
Since Engelhardt found the first Plateosaurus fossils in 1834, other fossils, over 100 of them, have been discovered in different places around Europe.
More specifically, Plateosaurus materials have been unearthed in over 50 localities in Germany, France, and Switzerland.
These discoveries show us that these ancient creatures dominated Europe while they were still extant.
Based on their behavior, diet, and other factors, we can conclude that Plateosaurus preferred to stay in forests close to rivers and in open regions that had enough food and were free of predators.
They also migrated around Europe, especially during the dry climate.
Behavior and Diet
Plateosaurus were most likely herbivores, like all sauropodomorphs.
Scientists deduced this based on their jaws which looked similar to herbivorous reptiles.
Paleontologist Paul Barrett claimed that prosauropods could also eat small prey or carrion to supplement their plant-based diets.
We have already mentioned that this species did not have cheeks and could not chew food properly.
Therefore, they may have swallowed pebbles to aid them in digestion.
This is a possibility, although researchers did not find gastroliths (gizzard stones) in a Plateosaurus stomach.
There is also proof that Plateosaurus were not solitary animals; they lived in herds.
For instance, while analyzing the Plateosaurus remains discovered in Germany, scientists could conclude that these animals traveled in small herds.
In fact, a pack of Plateosaurus skeletons was found in Trossingen, Germany, which is a telltale sign of a communal lifestyle.
Experts believe that these were the remains of Plateosaurus that got trapped in a mudslide during migration.
Since they had short forelimbs, it is apparent that they could hardly attack or defend themselves, although some paleontologists argue that the thumb claw would have been an adequate defense tool.
Still, we can conclude that Plateosaurus probably ran away at the sight of trouble.
This species had strong hind limbs, which several experts believe would have made it easy for them to take long strides and outrun any danger.
Furthermore, there is evidence that Plateosaurus might have been cathemeral.
This means that they had sporadic or random periods of activity at night and during the day; they could not be classified as nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular creatures.
Life Cycle
Like several dinosaurs, Plateosaurus were oviparous, so they laid eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring.
Once the eggs hatched, presumably 4-5 months after they were laid, the mothers cared for the babies until they were old enough to fend for themselves.
The study of a juvenile Plateosaurus skeleton shows that they looked much like adult dinosaurs.
This could be because they had a high growth and metabolism rate until they reached adulthood.
Based on the fossils found, paleontologists have deduced that Plateosaurus had an average life span of 12-20 years, with most dinosaurs reaching adulthood at the age of 12.
However, since most Plateosaurus fossils belonged to dinosaurs over ten years old, it is difficult to analyze the animal’s growth cycle before this age.
Evolution and History
Plateosaurus lived about 227-208 million years ago, during the Late Triassic period.
After its fossils were found, the type species was once Plateosaurus engelhardti before it was changed to Plateosaurus trossingensis because the former was considered undiagnostic.
After all, it was not so different from other dinosaurs.
At the moment, there are three known species of Plateosaurus: Plateosaurus longiceps, Plateosaurus gracilis, and Plateosaurus trossingensis.
Plateosaurus was a relatively big sauropodomorph with robust limbs and a broad body.
This influenced its name Plateosaurus, which means “broad lizard,” although some people call it “flat lizard.”
This herbivorous animal supposedly ate small prey when the situation called for it.
The Plateosaurus is one of the most popular dinosaurs worldwide, having several fossils, including almost complete ones, available for analysis.
This is unlike several dinosaurs lacking enough remains for paleontologists to check out and analyze.
This species usually lived up to 20 years, and maybe even more, as a fossil that belonged to a 27-year-old Plateosaurus was discovered.
Ultimately, the last of these dinosaurs died at the end of the Triassic period and the start of the Jurassic period.
Interaction with Other Species
Plateosaurus was one of the first dinosaur fossils to be discovered, even way before the Dinosauria group was named.
As an animal that lived in the Late Triassic period, it existed alongside other creatures like Ceolophysis, Saltopus, Procompsognathus, and Proganochelys, the oldest-known turtle.
Plateosaurus was a herbivore, with scientists claiming it occasionally ate small prey.
If that was the case, this means it was a predator in its own right, no matter how insignificant that part was.
In addition, this species was considered prey by a few predatory animals that lived during that period, which explains why Plateosaurus had a few defense mechanisms.
One is the eyes at the sides of its head which helped it to sight predators quickly, and it also had powerful hind legs that could help it run away from danger.
It is also important to note that Plateosaurus lived alongside Liliensternus, a smaller carnivorous dinosaur that may have been considered the bigger herbivorous dinosaur prey.
Cultural Significance
Some Plateosaurus remains, especially those found in the mudslide, have been placed in local museums for people to see.
Some famous museums where you will find Plateosaurus skeletons include the State Museum for Natural History in Stuttgart, the University of Tübingen, the Humboldt Museum, and the Institute and Museum for Geology and Paleontology.
Also, as the popular dinosaur that Plateosaurus is today, it has been featured in Walking with Dinosaurs to explain the success of dinosaurs.
Plateosaurus fossils have also opened us up to the prehistoric era and helped us understand that period better, especially the Late Triassic period.
In Disney’s 1940 movie Fantasia, a herd of Plateosaurus was featured digging for clams, even though these animals only really ate plants.
While this was more or less wrong information, it still reveals just how popular these dinosaurs have become millions of years after their existence.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why Plateosaurus is unlike any other dinosaur.
For one, it is one of the oldest dinosaurs to have walked the earth, existing before the Jurassic period that signified the dinosaurs’ reign.
Also, as old as these dinosaurs were, they left behind enough fossils for scientists and paleontologists to analyze to their fill.
This is why there is so much to say about this prehistoric animal.
FAQs
How Many Teeth Did Plateosaurus Have?
Plateosaurus had several small teeth in its lower and upper jaw – 24-30 on the maxilla, 5-6 on the premaxilla, and 21-28 on the dentary.
There was a leaf-shaped crown on these teeth, which made them suitable for digesting plant material.
What Was Plateosaurus’ Main Predator?
Plateosaurus was a plant-eating animal, which placed it towards the bottom of the food chain.
It would have been easy prey for other carnivorous dinosaurs like Liliensternus and Herrarasaurus, as well as other carnivores that existed during that time.
Was Plateosaurus Smart?
Plateosaurus belonged to class Sauropodomorpha, and this class is known to be among the least intelligent of the dinosaurs.
Also, the fact that Plateosaurus had a tiny skull and brain is a telltale sign that this animal may not have been so intelligent.
Sources:
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateosaurus
- https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/plateosaurus.html
- https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/p/Plateosaurus.htm
- https://atmos.eoas.fsu.edu/~parker/Zalace.pdf
- https://easyscienceforkids.com/plateosaurus/
- https://prehistoric-earth-a-natural-history.fandom.com/wiki/Plateosaurus
- https://novum-terram.fandom.com/wiki/Plateosaurus_(SciiFii)
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