Describer

Welles, 1984

Time

Triassic Late Norian Rhaetian

Classification

Saurischia Theropoda Ceratosauria Halticosauridae

Diet

Carnivore

Fossilsite

France, Germany

Typespecies

Liliensternus liliensterni

Length

5 meter

Info

Genus

Liliensternus (Welles, 1984) > Liliensternus liliensterni (Huene, 1934) = Halticosaurus liliensternus (Huene, 1934)

Liliensternus liliensterni is known from two incomplete subadult skeletons, both gracile individuals, that evidently came from a single locality. The skeletons were originally described by Huene (1934) under the name Halticosaurus liliensternus, but Welles (1984) later erected the name Liliensternus to emphasize their distinctness from Halticosaurus longotarsus (Huene, 1908) and \\\"Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus\\\" (Huene, 1932).

This decision appears justified in that the material of Liliensternus liliensterni does preserve data permitting its placement as a derived member within Ceratosauria, whereas no data could be found to suggest that either \\\"Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus\\\" or Halticosaurus longotarsusis a ceratosaur.

Coelophysis bauri (Cope, 1889) and Syntarsus (Raath, 1969) appear more closely related to each other than to Liliensternus, Dilophosaurus or Ceratosaurus.

Evidence for this includes the shared presence of an antiorbital fenestra that is greater than 25 percent of the length of the skull (the condition of the antiorbital fenestra is indeterminable in Liliensternus), grealty elongated cervical ribs (the cervical ribs are not adequately known in other ceratosaurs), a distinct caudal rim on the M. iliofemoralis fossa, and the obturator ridge of the femur.

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