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Acuetzpalin
''Acuetzpalin'' (meaning "water lizard" in Classical Nahuatl) is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur found in the Kimmeridgian La Casita Formation in Mexico. It is known from a partial skeleton (missing the limbs), of which the skull is surprisingly well preserved. Its length is estimated to have been more than long, considering the missing parts of the holotype. It was the first ichthyosaur described in 2020 and the first new ichthyosaur genus described since 2017 (both ''Gengasaurus'' and ''Keilhauia'' were described in 2017). Classification A phylogenetic analysis conducted in 2020 reveals that ''Acuetzpalin'' is a member of the subfamily Platypterygiinae Platypterygiinae is an extinct subfamily of ophthalmosaurid thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the early Late Jurassic to the early Late Cretaceous (Kimmeridgian - Cenomanian) of Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Currently, the ... and is located among the most-derived platyp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Platypterygius Australis
''Platypterygius'' is a historically paraphyletic genus of platypterygiine ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous period. It was historically used as a wastebasket taxon, and most species within ''Platypterygius'' likely are undiagnostic at the genus or species level, or represent distinct genera, even being argued as invalid. While fossils referred to ''Platypterygius'' have been found throughout different continents, the holotype specimen was found in Germany. Description As ''Platypterygius'' contains multiple species not especially close to each other, little can be said in terms of shared characteristics. According to an analysis by Fischer (2012), all anatomical features used to unify ''Platypterygius'' species are either not actually present in each species, or much more widespread among unrelated ophthalmosaurs. Generally, species referred to this genus were large bodied macropredators based on their robust dentition. This is also supported by ''P. australis'' having been foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthropterygius
''Arthropterygius'' is a widespread genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur which existed in Canada, Norway, Russia, and Argentina from the late Jurassic period and possibly to the earliest Cretaceous. Description ''Arthropterygius'' appears to have been a relatively large ichthyosaur, with all species measuring between long. The partially preserved specimen PMO 222.655 has been estimated at based on comparisons to the contemporary ophthalmosaurid ''Undorosaurus''. This specimen was probably mature or close to maturity at time of death, judging by the convex head of the humerus and the smooth texture of the humeral shaft. Skull and axial skeleton The skull of ''Arthropterygius'' has become well known due to the discovery of a well preserved skull from Svalbard. It is unusual among ichthyosaurs in having a very short, yet also robust rostrum for its skull length. As a result, the orbit appears very large (about 0.34× the skull length). The skull bears a very large pineal foramen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Undorosaurus
''Undorosaurus'' is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from western Russia, Svalbard, and Poland. It was a large ichthyosaur, with the type species measuring long and weighing . Discovery and naming ''Undorosaurus'' was named by Vladimir M. Efimov in 1999 and the type species is ''Undorosaurus gorodischensis''. The specific name is named after Gorodische, the type locality of this taxon. ''U. trautscholdi'' is named in honor of the geologist H. Trautschold who collected and made the first description of the fossils of the holotype of the species. ''Undorosaurus'' was first known from the holotype UPM EP-II-20 (527), a partial three-dimensionally preserved skeleton which preserved partial skull. It was collected near the Volga river at Gorodische from the ''Epivirgatites nikitini'' ammonoid zone, dating to the Late Jurassic. A second species, ''U. trautscholdi'' was described by M.S. Arkhangelsky and N.G. Zverkov in 2014 from a partial left forefin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grendelius
''Grendelius'' is a genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) of the UK and European Russia. It was a medium-sized ichthyosaur measuring about long. Taxonomy The type species, ''Grendelius mordax'', was described in 1976 on the basis of CAMSM J.68516, a complete skull with associated postcranial elements from the Kimmeridge Clay of England. Later, it was reassigned to ''Brachypterygius'' because differences between the two species were considered insufficient to warrant separate genera, or even species.McGowan, C. 1997. The taxonomic status of Grendelius mordax: a preliminary report. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17, 428–430. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10010986McGowan, C. & Motani, R. Ichthyopterygia. In Sues, H.-D. (ed.) Handbook of Paleoherpetology, vol. 8. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, Munich, 175 pp., 19 pls. Efimov, 1998 named a new genus of ichthyosaur, ''Otschevia pseudoscythica'' on the basis of a single sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grendelius Alekseevi
''Grendelius'' is a genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) of the UK and European Russia. It was a medium-sized ichthyosaur measuring about long. Taxonomy The type species, ''Grendelius mordax'', was described in 1976 on the basis of CAMSM J.68516, a complete skull with associated postcranial elements from the Kimmeridge Clay of England. Later, it was reassigned to ''Brachypterygius'' because differences between the two species were considered insufficient to warrant separate genera, or even species.McGowan, C. 1997. The taxonomic status of Grendelius mordax: a preliminary report. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17, 428–430. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10010986McGowan, C. & Motani, R. Ichthyopterygia. In Sues, H.-D. (ed.) Handbook of Paleoherpetology, vol. 8. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, Munich, 175 pp., 19 pls. Efimov, 1998 named a new genus of ichthyosaur, ''Otschevia pseudoscythica'' on the basis of a single sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grendelius Mordax
''Grendelius'' is a genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) of the UK and European Russia. It was a medium-sized ichthyosaur measuring about long. Taxonomy The type species, ''Grendelius mordax'', was described in 1976 on the basis of CAMSM J.68516, a complete skull with associated postcranial elements from the Kimmeridge Clay of England. Later, it was reassigned to ''Brachypterygius'' because differences between the two species were considered insufficient to warrant separate genera, or even species.McGowan, C. 1997. The taxonomic status of Grendelius mordax: a preliminary report. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 17, 428–430. doi:10.1080/02724634.1997.10010986McGowan, C. & Motani, R. Ichthyopterygia. In Sues, H.-D. (ed.) Handbook of Paleoherpetology, vol. 8. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, Munich, 175 pp., 19 pls. Efimov, 1998 named a new genus of ichthyosaur, ''Otschevia pseudoscythica'' on the basis of a single sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caypullisaurus Bonapartei
''Caypullisaurus'' is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous (Tithonian and Berriasian stages) of Argentina. Its holotype was collected from the Vaca Muerta Formation of Cerro Lotena, Neuquen, dating to the early Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic, about 150 million years ago. ''Caypullisaurus'' was first named by Marta Fernández in 1997 and the type species is ''Caypullisaurus bonapartei''. It was a large ichthyosaur, measuring about long. Classification It is a member of the family Ophthalmosauridae, and closely related to ''Platypterygius'' and ''Brachypterygius''.Fernández M. 2007. Redescription and phylogenetic position of ''Caypullisaurus'' (Ichthyosauria: Ophthalmosauridae). ''Journal of Paleontology'' 81 (2): 368-375. In 2012, ''Caypullisaurus'' was found to be most closely related to ''Athabascasaurus'' and "''Platypterygius''" ''australis'', and to nest within the subfamily Platypterygiinae. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Platypterygius Sachicarum
''Platypterygius'' is a historically paraphyletic genus of platypterygiine ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous period. It was historically used as a wastebasket taxon, and most species within ''Platypterygius'' likely are undiagnostic at the genus or species level, or represent distinct genera, even being argued as invalid. While fossils referred to ''Platypterygius'' have been found throughout different continents, the holotype specimen was found in Germany. Description As ''Platypterygius'' contains multiple species not especially close to each other, little can be said in terms of shared characteristics. According to an analysis by Fischer (2012), all anatomical features used to unify ''Platypterygius'' species are either not actually present in each species, or much more widespread among unrelated ophthalmosaurs. Generally, species referred to this genus were large bodied macropredators based on their robust dentition. This is also supported by ''P. australis'' having been foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Platypterygius Americanus
''Platypterygius'' is a historically paraphyletic genus of platypterygiine ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous period. It was historically used as a wastebasket taxon, and most species within ''Platypterygius'' likely are undiagnostic at the genus or species level, or represent distinct genera, even being argued as invalid. While fossils referred to ''Platypterygius'' have been found throughout different continents, the holotype specimen was found in Germany. Description As ''Platypterygius'' contains multiple species not especially close to each other, little can be said in terms of shared characteristics. According to an analysis by Fischer (2012), all anatomical features used to unify ''Platypterygius'' species are either not actually present in each species, or much more widespread among unrelated ophthalmosaurs. Generally, species referred to this genus were large bodied macropredators based on their robust dentition. This is also supported by ''P. australis'' having been foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Athabascasaurus Bitumineus
''Athabascasaurus'' is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from Alberta, Canada. Discovery and etymology ''Athabascasaurus'' is known from the holotype TMP 2000.29.01, articulated nearly complete postcranial skeleton and nearly complete skull preserved in dorsal view, missing the premaxilla. It was collected in 2000 on the western side of the Syncrude Canada Ltd.'s Base Mine, an open-pit mine near Fort McMurray. The specimen was found in the Wabiskaw Member of the Clearwater Formation, which dates to the earliest Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch, about 112 million years ago. The specimen resides at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. ''Athabascasaurus'' was first named by Patrick S. Druckenmiller and Erin E. Maxwell in 2010 and the type species is ''Athabascasaurus bitumineus''. The generic name is derived from the name of the Athabasca River, which runs through Athabasca oil sands area where the holotype was collected, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sveltonectes Insolitus
''Sveltonectes'' (meaning "agile swimmer" in Greek) is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs known from Ul’yanovsk region, western Russia. Etymology ''Sveltonectes'' was named by Valentin Fischer, Edwige Masure, Maxim S. Arkhangelsky, and Pascal Godefroit in 2011 and the type species is ''Sveltonectes insolitus''. The generic name is derived from ''sveltos'', Greek for "agile", and ''nektes'', Greek for "swimmer", and refers to its small size, streamlined skull, and powerful girdle musculature. The specific name is derived from ''insolitus'', Latin for "unusual", in reference to the numerous unusual features of this ichthyosaur, as well as its unusual tooth morphology. Description ''Sveltonectes'' is known from the holotype IRSNB R269, an almost complete three-dimensionally preserved skeleton including a partial skull. It was collected in unnamed locality, in Ul’yanovsk, dating to the late Barremian stage of the early Cretaceous, about 126 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leninia Stellans
''Leninia'' is an extinct genus of basal ophthalmosaurine ichthyosaur known from the late Early Cretaceous (lower Aptian stage) of western Russia. ''Leninia'' was first named by Valentin Fischer, Maxim S. Arkhangelsky, Gleb N. Uspensky, Ilya M. Stenshin and Pascal Godefroit in 2013 and the type species is ''Leninia stellans''. It was named for Vladimir Lenin, one of the leaders of the Communist Revolution in Russia, as the museum it is currently housed in is also named for him. The specimen was discovered in 2012, on the banks of the river Volga near the town of Kriushi in a limestone nodule. There are several other fossils from the same time period near it, including ammonites, lamellibranchs and fish remains. Only part of the skull was found. Features The skull is incomplete, and without any teeth. it is partially crushed transversely, and nothing further forward than the naris remains, with what seems to be a fairly clean break. It is not known whether this was due to oro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
