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A B S T R A C T Basal sauropod remains recovered from the shallow-marine Lower Toarcian (Harpoceras falciferum ammonite zone) ‘‘Green Series’’ clay of Grimmen (North-Eastern Germany) are reported, representing, along with the inclusion of Ohmdenosaurus from the coeval Posidonia Shale of Southern Germany, the second unambiguous record of Early Jurassic sauropod body fossil remains from Europe. The material consists of two specimens: four partially preserved pelvic girdle elements and a dorsal neural spine, which were found during the last quarter of the 20th century, but remained unstudied due to their fragmentary condition. Based on the observed set of characters, both specimens can clearly be referred to Gravisauria, indicating close morphological resemblance to the late Early Jurassic Moroccan taxon Tazoudasaurus. The material is suggestive of derivation from one (or two?) ontogenetically immature individual(s) on account of being rather small in size compared to the corresponding elements of other basal sauropods; nevertheless, the possibility of phyletic dwarfism cannot be ruled out due to the Lower Toarcian palaeogeography. Given the fragmentary nature of the available material and the uncertainty as to whether both specimens belong to the same individual, the specimens are simply regarded as Gravisauria gen. et sp. indet. until more complete material is available. |
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