plateosaurid

Plateosauridae is a family of plateosaurian dinosaurs within Sauropodomorpha that lived during the Late Triassic, roughly 214 to 203 million years ago. The group is best known for Plateosaurus and includes several related genera described mainly from Europe. Plateosaurids are among the earliest large-bodied herbivorous dinosaurs and help illuminate the early evolution of the sauropodomorph lineage that would later give rise to the giant long-necked sauropods.

Anatomy and ecology: Plateosaurids had elongated bodies and relatively long necks, with small skulls and leaf-shaped teeth suited to a herbivorous diet. They possessed beak-like jaws for cropping vegetation and features that suggest a capability for flexible feeding on low-lying plants such as ferns and early gymnosperms. They were likely capable of bipedal locomotion as juveniles and generally considered to be at least facultatively quadrupedal as adults, using their forelimbs to support the body while feeding or moving.

Fossil record and distribution: The best fossil remains of plateosaurids come from Late Triassic sedimentary contexts in central Europe, particularly what is now Germany and Switzerland. Some fragmentary remains from other regions have historically been attributed to plateosaurids, but taxonomic assignments are frequently revised with new discoveries and methods.

Taxonomic significance: Plateosauridae occupies an early branch within Sauropodomorpha, preceding the large, obligate quadrupedal sauropods of the Jurassic. Studying plateosaurids sheds light on the transition from small, bipedal or semi-erect carnivorous ancestors to the later, gigantically herbivorous sauropods.