Abstract
‘Partanosaurus zitteli’ is an obscure and doubtful sauropterygian taxon from the Ladinian (Middle Triassic) of the Austrian Alps, described at the end of the 19th century and based on isolated axial and pectoral remains belonging to a single individual. For more than 20 years, it has been considered an invalid species, belonging to the much better known sauropterygian genus Simosaurus, also from the European Ladinian record. The revision of the type species of Simosaurus (i.e., Simosaurus gaillardoti, considered to be the only representative of the monospecific clade Simosauridae until recent times), the recent definition of a new simosaurid taxon (i.e., Paludidraco multidentatus), and the discovery in the past decade of new European Upper Triassic simosaurid remains not attributable to any of those two species permit a better understanding of the Simosauridae clade. The validity of ‘P. zitteli’ is revised based on these new findings. Its previous proposal as a junior synonym of S. gaillardoti cannot be justified here, but we opt to declare it a nomen dubium, considering the scarce material currently attributed to it and the absence of autapomorphies. We recognize a higher diversity for the clade Simosauridae than previously expected. Emended diagnoses for S. gaillardoti and Pa. multidentatus are provided, based on the review of the known simosaurid specimens, including the holotype of ‘P. zitteli.’
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