Antetonitrus
| Antetonitrus Temporal range: Early Jurassic, | |
|---|---|
| Holotype | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Family: | †Lessemsauridae |
| Genus: | †Antetonitrus |
| Species: | †A. ingenipes |
| Binomial name | |
| †Antetonitrus ingenipes Yates & Kitching, 2003 | |
Antetonitrus is a genus of sauropodiform dinosaur found in the Early Jurassic Elliot Formation of South Africa. The only species is Antetonitrus ingenipes. Sometimes considered a basal sauropod, it is crucial for the understanding of the origin and early evolution of this group. It was a quadrupedal herbivore, like its later relatives, but shows primitive adaptations to use the forelimbs for grasping, instead of purely for weight support.