Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies
In 2015, a partial skeleton of the Late Triassic dinosaur Plateosaurus trossingensis was excavated from Frick, Switzerland, and subsequently mounted at the Natural History Museum of Vienna in 2021. This specimen includes an almost complete series of tail vertebrae, with a well-preserved, articulated...
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The Royal Society
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250325 |
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| author | Thomas Filek Matthias Kranner Ben Pabst Ursula B. Göhlich |
| author_facet | Thomas Filek Matthias Kranner Ben Pabst Ursula B. Göhlich |
| author_sort | Thomas Filek |
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| description | In 2015, a partial skeleton of the Late Triassic dinosaur Plateosaurus trossingensis was excavated from Frick, Switzerland, and subsequently mounted at the Natural History Museum of Vienna in 2021. This specimen includes an almost complete series of tail vertebrae, with a well-preserved, articulated whip-like distal end. The preserved tail structure provides valuable insights into the morphological implications of tail function and its potential role in the behaviour of Plateosaurus. Using the caudal vertebrae, we reconstructed and analysed the potential tail-lashing capabilities of Plateosaurus, comparing its biomechanics with those of other fossil and extant long-tailed reptilian taxa, including the extinct sauropod Diplodocus, the extant Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator), and the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Our results indicate that the tail of P. trossingensis was highly flexible, with an estimated kinetic energy output ranging between 0.537 and 1.616 kJ during rapid strikes, comparable to the defensive tail use observed in modern reptiles. These findings suggest that tail-whipping may have played a role in predator deterrence and intraspecific interactions in Plateosaurus. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a3bdfdf92986467d82bdc676c33b8ab4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a3bdfdf92986467d82bdc676c33b8ab42025-08-20T03:47:41ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-05-0112510.1098/rsos.250325Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategiesThomas Filek0Matthias Kranner1Ben Pabst2Ursula B. Göhlich3Department of Paleontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaAbt.10 geologischer Dienst, Ref.102 Landesaufnahme Geologie und Geogefahren, Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Hof/Saale, GermanyUniversity of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Geology and Paleontology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, AustriaIn 2015, a partial skeleton of the Late Triassic dinosaur Plateosaurus trossingensis was excavated from Frick, Switzerland, and subsequently mounted at the Natural History Museum of Vienna in 2021. This specimen includes an almost complete series of tail vertebrae, with a well-preserved, articulated whip-like distal end. The preserved tail structure provides valuable insights into the morphological implications of tail function and its potential role in the behaviour of Plateosaurus. Using the caudal vertebrae, we reconstructed and analysed the potential tail-lashing capabilities of Plateosaurus, comparing its biomechanics with those of other fossil and extant long-tailed reptilian taxa, including the extinct sauropod Diplodocus, the extant Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator), and the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Our results indicate that the tail of P. trossingensis was highly flexible, with an estimated kinetic energy output ranging between 0.537 and 1.616 kJ during rapid strikes, comparable to the defensive tail use observed in modern reptiles. These findings suggest that tail-whipping may have played a role in predator deterrence and intraspecific interactions in Plateosaurus.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250325Plateosaurusbehaviourdefence strategyTriassicFrick, Switzerland |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Filek Matthias Kranner Ben Pabst Ursula B. Göhlich Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies Royal Society Open Science Plateosaurus behaviour defence strategy Triassic Frick, Switzerland |
| title | Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies |
| title_full | Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies |
| title_fullStr | Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies |
| title_short | Tail of defence: an almost complete tail skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible defence strategies |
| title_sort | tail of defence an almost complete tail skeleton of plateosaurus sauropodomorpha late triassic reveals possible defence strategies |
| topic | Plateosaurus behaviour defence strategy Triassic Frick, Switzerland |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250325 |
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