Antetonitrus

Antetonitrus Temporal range: Early Jurassic, Hettangian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†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.^[1]