''Paratypothorax'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

aetosaur Aetosaurs () are heavily armored reptiles belonging to the extinct order (biology), order Aetosauria (; from Ancient Greek, Greek, (aetos, "eagle") and (, "lizard")). They were medium- to large-sized Omnivore, omnivorous or Herbivore, herbivoro ...

, known from a single species, ''Paratypothorax andressorum''. It was a broadly distributed member of the group found in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, North America, and possibly parts of Gondwana. The best specimens come from Germany, though for more than a century they were mistakenly considered

phytosaur Phytosaurs (Φυτόσαυροι in greek) are an extinct group of large, mostly semiaquatic Late Triassic archosauriform reptiles. Phytosaurs belong to the order Phytosauria. Phytosauria and Phytosauridae are often considered to be equivalent g ...

armor. ''Paratypothorax'' was a large and wide-bodied typothoracine aetosaur, as well as the namesake of the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

Paratypothoracisini.

Discovery and distribution

''Paratypothorax'' was first known from specimens collected from the Heslach area near Stuttgart in

. These hail from the Stubensandstein (also known as the Löwenstein Formation), a mid- Norian age geological unit. Heslach has also produced many fossils of a smaller aetosaur, ''

Aetosaurus ''Aetosaurus'' is an extinct genus of pseudosuchian reptile belonging to the order Aetosauria. It is generally considered to be the most primitive aetosaur. Three species are currently recognized: ''A. ferratus'', the type species from Germany a ...

''. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...

specimen of ''Paratypothorax'', SMNS 5721, consists of a series of articulated osteoderms alongside a few hip and leg bones. Large osteoderms of ''Paratypothorax'' were long misidentified as

armor, and referred to ''

Belodon ''Belodon'' (meaning "arrow tooth") is a genus of phytosaur, a crocodile-like reptile that lived during the Triassic. Its fossils have been found in Europe and elsewhere. The type species, ''Belodon plieningeri'', was named by prolific German pa ...

''. Among this formerly misidentified material is SMNS 19003, a fossil unearthed in 1945 from the Schlipf Quarry near Murrhardt. Further preparation revealed that SMNS 19003 was a complete skeleton with a well-preserved skull and fully articulated carapace. ''Paratypothorax'' was first recognized as an aetosaur in 1953, and was named as a new genus in 1985. In 1992, ''Paratypothorax'' fossils were first identified in the Chinle Group of the southwestern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It has been found in the Sonsela Member of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, as well as the

Bluewater Creek Formation The Bluewater Creek Formation is a geologic formation in west-central New Mexico. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Triassic period. Description The formation consists of red sandstones and mudstones and has a total thickness in exce ...

of western

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

. It is also common in strata of the

Dockum Group The Dockum is a Late Triassic (approximately late Carnian through Rhaetian, or 223–200 Ma) geologic group found primarily on the Llano Estacado of western Texas and eastern New Mexico with minor exposures in southwestern Kansas, eastern Colora ...

further in eastern New Mexico and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. Osteoderms of ''Paratypothorax'' have also been reported from the Norian-age

Fleming Fjord Formation The Fleming Fjord Formation, alternatively called the Fleming Fjord Group is an Upper Triassic geological formation in the northeastern coast of Jameson Land, Greenland. It consists of terrestrial sediments and is known for its fossil content. ...

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

, the Zarzaitine Series of

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and an unverified occurrence in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Description

''Paratypothorax'' possesses paramedian

scute A scute or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is also used to describe the anterior po ...

s that are wide, strap-like, and have grooves and pits on them forming radial patterns. Like other typothoracisines such as '' Typothorax'', the lateral scutes bear large horns that are posteriorly hooked. The rear of each scute is overlapped by a prominent knob.

References

External links

''Paratypothorax''
at

Palaeos Palaeos.com is a web site on biology, paleontology, phylogeny and geology and which covers the history of Earth. The site is well respected and has been used as a reference by professional paleontologists such as Michael J. Benton, the professor of ...

''Paratypothorax''
in the

Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals, plants, and microorganisms. History The Paleobiology Database (PBDB) originated in the NCEAS-funded Phanerozoic Marine Pale ...

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4162516 Aetosaurs of North America Late Triassic reptiles of Europe Chinle fauna Late Triassic pseudosuchians Fossil taxa described in 1985 Prehistoric pseudosuchian genera