Taphonomy
The taphonomy (burial and fossilization process) of the three main Plateosaurus sites—Trossingen, Halberstadt and Frick—is unusual in several ways. All three sites are nearly monospecific assemblages, meaning that they contain practically only one species, which requires very special circumstances. However, shed teeth of theropods have been found at all three sites, as well as remains of the early turtle Proganochelys. Additionally, a partial "prosauropod" skeleton was found in Halberstadt that does not belong to Plateosaurus, but is preserved in a similar position. All sites yielded almost complete and partial skeletons of Plateosaurus, as well as isolated bones. The partial skeletons tend to include the hind limbs and hips, while parts of the anterior body and neck are rarely found in isolation. The animals were all adults or subadults (nearly adult individuals); no juveniles or hatchlings are known. Complete skeletons and large skeleton parts that include the hind limbs all rest dorsal (top) side up, as do the turtles. Also, they are mostly well-articulated, and the hind limbs are three-dimensionally preserved in a zigzag posture, with the feet often much deeper in the sediment than the hips.
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