Morphology and ontogeny of the plagiosaurid temnospondyl Plagiosternum granulosum from the Middle Triassic of Germany
Schoch, Rainer (Universität Hohenheim)
Gastou, Stéphanie (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle)
Steyer, Sébastien J. (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle)
Mujal, Eudald (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Moreno, Raphael (Universität Hohenheim)
Witzmann, Florian (Museum für Naturkunde)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Plagiosaurids form a small but highly disparate clade of Triassic temnospondyls that are characterized by extremely flattened and wide skulls, large orbits and a knobby to pustular ornamentation. The largest European taxon is Plagiosternum granulosum from the Middle Triassic of Germany. Originally known from fragmentary bonebed material only, recent finds add well-preserved specimens that reveal the structure of the skull, mandible and pectoral girdle in great detail. The humerus and atlas of P. granulosum are described for the first time, and a putative cleithrum is identified. Ontogenetic changes include a proportional extension of the orbit, a more convex occipital margin, elongation of the parietal, proportional increase of the occipital condyles and formation of pustular ornament at nodal points of reticulate ridges. The presence of gastral scales can be inferred from the structure of the interclavicle, but there is no evidence of osteoderms. Plagiosternum granulosum was the most salt-tolerant temnospondyl in the Ladinian palaeoenvironments, where it dwelled brackish lagoons and lakes and formed a community with nothosaurids and other euhaline taxa.
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Plagiosauridae ; Phylogeny ; Stereospondyli ; Temnospondyli ; Triassic
Published in:	PalZ, December 2025

DOI: 10.1007/s12542-025-00748-7

20 p, 5.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles