Dinopedia
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Protochirotherium
Croc-0
Prortochirotherium holotype trace fossil, displayed in Regionalmuseum Wolfhagen
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Reptilipedia
Family: Chirotheriidae
Genus: Protochirotherium
Fichter and Kunz, 2004
Binomial name
Protochirotherium wolfhagenense
Fichter and Kunz, 2004
Germany

Bullyland Protochirotherium

Protochirotherium, also known as Protocheirotherium (‘first hand-beast’), is an Early Triassic trace fossil consisting of five-fingered (pentadactyle) footprints and whole tracks, discovered in Germany and later Morocco. The type, and only ichnospecies, is Protochirotheroum wolfhagenense, named and described in 2004[1] and re-evaluated in 2007.[2]

In 2014, Bullyland made a Protochirotherium model to celebrate ten years of the discovery of the ichnogenus.

Fossil distribution[]

Fossils of Protochirotherium have been found in:[3]

Triassic
  • Detfurth Formation (Buntsandstein), Olenekian, Germany (Protochirotherium wolfhagenense)[1]
  • Argana Basin, Morocco (Protochirotherium sp.)[4][5]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Fichter and Kunz, 2004
  2. H. Klein and H. Haubold. 2007. Archosaur footprints – potential for biochronology of Triassic continental sequences. In S. G. Lucas & J. A. Spielmann (ed.), New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 41:120-130 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Carrano]
  3. [Protochirotherium] at Fossilworks.org
  4. H. Klein, S. Voigt, A. Hminna, H. Saber, J. Scnheider and D. Hmich. 2010. Early Triassic archosaur-dominated footprint assemblage from the Argana Basin (western High Atlas, Morocco). Ichnos 17:1-13 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
  5. M. Carrano CDUE locality 11, Argana Basin (coll. Voigt, Schneider 2008–2009)
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