Where was Plateosaurus found?

Plateosaurus fossils on the map: 36 finds in 8 countries. The dashed box outlines the area they cover.

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Age of the rocks252 to 66 million years ago
Group

Shows every find whose age range overlaps the window. To look up one dinosaur, use the search box on the map.

Key
  • Triassic 251.9 to 201.4 million years ago
  • Jurassic 201.4 to 145 million years ago
  • Cretaceous 145 to 66 million years ago
  • Spans two periods The find’s age range straddles a boundary

How to read the dots. Each dot is one find recorded in the Paleobiology Database, coloured by the period of its rocks. Finds marked approximate have only a rough position in the database, so the dot can sit some way from the real site.

About Plateosaurus fossils

Silhouette of Plateosaurus
Silhouette by Jack Mayer Wood, CC0 1.0 Universal, from PhyloPic

Plateosaurus is a genus of sauropodomorphs, the long-necked group and its relatives. The database records 6 species of it: Plateosaurus elizae, Plateosaurus engelhardti, Plateosaurus erlenbergiensis, Plateosaurus gracilis, Plateosaurus longiceps and Plateosaurus trossingensis.

The 36 finds on the map come from 8 countries. Germany has the most, with 22 (61%). The UK finds are all in Nottinghamshire.

The rock formation with the most finds is called Löwenstein, with 10. The rocks are 227.3 to 199.5 million years ago, in the Triassic and Jurassic periods.

Genus of Triassic sauropodomorphs. (Description from Wikidata, CC0.)

Read about Plateosaurus on Wikipedia.

  • 36finds
  • 8countries
  • 227.3oldest, million years ago
  • 199.5youngest, million years ago

10% of these finds are marked approximate in the database, so their dots may sit some way from the real site.

Which countries have Plateosaurus fossils?

CountryFindsShare
Germany2261%
France617%
Switzerland38%
Argentina13%
Greenland13%
O213%
South Africa13%
United Kingdom13%

UK counties

  • Nottinghamshire (1)

Rock formations that produced Plateosaurus

A formation is a named body of rock. These are the ones with the most Plateosaurus finds.

FormationFinds
Löwenstein10
Trossingen8
Klettgau3
Marnes irisées supérieures2
Bamberg1
Elliot1
Feuerletten1
Grès de Infralias1
Grès à Avicula contorta1
Laguna Colorada1

Other dinosaurs found in Germany

More to explore

Before you go fossil hunting. A dot shows where a find was recorded, not where you may dig. Many fossil sites are on private or protected land and collecting rules differ by country. Check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.

Questions about Plateosaurus

Where was Plateosaurus found?

Plateosaurus fossils are recorded in the Paleobiology Database from Germany, France, Switzerland and Argentina and 4 more. Most of the 36 finds on this map (22) are from Germany. The rock formation with the most finds is the Löwenstein (10).

How old are Plateosaurus fossils?

Finds of Plateosaurus on this map date from 227.3 to 199.5 million years ago, which is the Triassic and Jurassic periods. Ages are ranges, because rock layers are dated to a stage and not to a single year.

Where can I see Plateosaurus fossils near me?

Open the map and press Near me to list the nearest dinosaur finds and the most notable dinosaurs found around you. Remember that a dot shows where scientists recorded a find, not where you can dig: many fossil sites are on private or protected land, so check the rules before collecting and never dig on protected sites.

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