Anatomy and relationships of the basal sauropodomorph dinosaur Plateosaurus from the Norian of Frick, Jura Mountains, Switzerland

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Sander
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2009 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 144753946

The evolution of the dinosaurs in the Late Triassic (220 Ma ago) was a major event in the history of terrestrial ecosystems because dinosaurs were to dominate them for the next 155 million years. From an evolutionary perspective, dinosaurs are of particular interest because convergently to mammals (and before them) they evolved many adaptations to a highly active life style ofa large terrestrial vertebrate. Early dinosaurs, among which the central European Plateosaurus is known from the best material, are thus of particulary importance in understanding these events and processes. The study proposed here has major implications for a central aspect of dinosaur biology, i.e. the evolution of a high metabolic rate. In a paper recently published in the journal Science, the applicant showed that based on bone histology Plateosaurus life history was highly plastic and hypothesized that this reflects an early stage in the evolution of endothermy. Crucial to this hypothesis is the question whether the Plateosaurus remains from Frick (Switzerland) and Trossingen (Germany) represent a single species because otherwise the observed variability in life history could be interspecific. The Frick Plateosaurus has never been studied in detail, and new material is constantly being discovered, so that this sample is best suited to address the issue. The work will consist of preparation, detailed description, and comparison with Plateosaurus from other localities. A novel aspect is a phylogenetic analysis ofthe Frick material at the level of the individual.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Participating Person: Dr. Iwan Stössel-Sittig