dc.contributor.author	Barrett, Paul M.
dc.contributor.author	Chapelle, Kimberley E.J.
dc.contributor.author	Staunton, Casey K.
dc.contributor.author	Botha, Jennifer
dc.contributor.author	Choiniere, Jonah N.
dc.date.accessioned	2019-04-23T11:12:46Z
dc.date.available	2019-04-23T11:12:46Z
dc.date.issued	2019-04
dc.description.abstract	Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854, from the earliest Jurassic upper Elliot Formation of South Africa, was one of the first dinosaurs to be described from Gondwana. It has been incorporated into numerous phylogenetic, palaeobiological and biostratigraphic analyses, is often viewed as an exemplar for understanding sauropodomorph anatomy and is a key taxon in studies of early dinosaur evolution. Since its initial description, numerous specimens have been referred to this species, ranging from isolated postcranial elements to complete skeletons with three-dimensional skulls. In addition,M. carinatus has been identified in areas outside of the main Karoo Basin. Surprisingly, however, there have been few attempts to define the taxon rigorously, so that the basis for many of these referrals is weak, undermining the utility of this abundant material. Here, we provide the first detailed postcranial description of the neotype specimen ofM. carinatus, use it as a basis for diagnosing the species on the basis of cranial, axial and appendicular characters, demonstrate that it represents an adult individual on the basis of osteohistology, and discuss ways in which these data can assist in providing a better understanding of Karoo-aged African dinosaur faunas.	en_ZA
dc.description.librarian	JNC2019	en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship	Royal Society International Exchange Grant (jointly to P.M.B. and J.N.C.) Earth Sciences Departmental Investment Fund of the Natural History Museum, London (to P.M.B.) National Research Foundation (UID 104688, 98819: to J.B.-B.) The Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST: to K.E.J.C. and J.B.-B.) DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE-Pal: to K.E.J.C., J.B.-B. and J.N.C.). *PAST also awarded generous funds for conservation of the specimen to Bernhard Zipfel, University Curator of the Evolutionary Studies Institute	en_ZA
dc.funder	Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST)	en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn	2410-4418
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26829
dc.journal.title	Palaeontologia africana	en_ZA
dc.journal.volume	53	en_ZA
dc.language.iso	en	en_ZA
dc.orcid.id	0000-0003-0412-3000	en_ZA
dc.orcid.id	0000-0002-9991-0439	en_ZA
dc.orcid.id	0000-0001-8824-9334	en_ZA
dc.orcid.id	0000-0002-1008-0687	en_ZA
dc.publisher	Evolutionary Studies Institute	en_ZA
dc.rights	Copyright 2019 the Authors	en_ZA
dc.subject	Massospondylidae	en_ZA
dc.subject	postcranial anatomy	en_ZA
dc.subject	osteohistology	en_ZA
dc.subject	taxonomy	en_ZA
dc.title	Postcranial osteology of the neotype specimen of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the upper Elliot formation of South Africa	en_ZA
dc.type	Article	en_ZA

Postcranial osteology of the neotype specimen of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the upper Elliot formation of South Africa

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