|
Gengasaurus
''Gengasaurus'' is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Jurassic. The type and only species, ''Gengasaurus nicosiai'', was named in 2017, after the locality of Genga, Marche. It lived in Italy about 152 million years ago. History The near complete holotype was discovered in 1976 in the Late Jurassic (Tithonian In the geological timescale, the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic Epoch and the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic Series. It spans the time between 152.1 ± 4 Ma and 145.0 ± 4 Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by ...) Calcari ad aptici e Saccocoma Formation at Camponocecchio and it was described in 1980 and 2000 as the "Genga ichthyosaur" before it was named and described in 2016Ilaria Paparella, Erin E. Maxwell, Angelo Cipriani, Scilla Roncacè and Michael W. Caldwell (2016) - The first ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Upper Jurassic of the Umbrian–Marchean Apennines (Marche, Central Italy). ''Geological Maga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camponocecchio Fossil Site
The Calcari ad aptici e Saccocoma Formation, also known as the Saccocoma Formation (known in English as the Haptic limestones and Saccocoma Formation), is a geologic formation in Camponocecchio, Italy that dates back to the Tithonian (152 Ma) - it was first identified in 1976/1980, Fastelli, C. & Nicosia, U. (1980). ''L'Ittiosauro di Genga (Ancona)''. In I vertebrati fossili italiani (eds Parisi, G. & Seppi, G.), pp. 95–101. ''Verona: Catalogo della Mostra''. and was named in 2002.Galluzzo, F. & Santantonio, M. (2002). The Sabina Plateau: a new element in the Mesozoic palaeogeography of Central Apennines. ''Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana'' S1, 561–88. It was probably a marine shale due to the fossil content. Fossils found there include ammonites, cnidarians and the ichthyosaur ''Gengasaurus'', discovered in 1976. Many of the fossils found in this formation are housed at the Spaelaeo-Palaeontologic Museum in Genga. Paleofauna Indeterminate ammonites and cnidaria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calcari Ad Aptici E Saccocoma Formation
The Calcari ad aptici e Saccocoma Formation, also known as the Saccocoma Formation (known in English as the Haptic limestones and Saccocoma Formation), is a geologic formation in Camponocecchio, Italy that dates back to the Tithonian (152 Ma) - it was first identified in 1976/1980, Fastelli, C. & Nicosia, U. (1980). ''L'Ittiosauro di Genga (Ancona)''. In I vertebrati fossili italiani (eds Parisi, G. & Seppi, G.), pp. 95–101. ''Verona: Catalogo della Mostra''. and was named in 2002.Galluzzo, F. & Santantonio, M. (2002). The Sabina Plateau: a new element in the Mesozoic palaeogeography of Central Apennines. ''Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana'' S1, 561–88. It was probably a marine shale due to the fossil content. Fossils found there include ammonites, cnidarians and the ichthyosaur ''Gengasaurus'', discovered in 1976. Many of the fossils found in this formation are housed at the Spaelaeo-Palaeontologic Museum in Genga. Paleofauna Indeterminate ammonites and cnidaria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acamptonectes
''Acamptonectes'' is a genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs, a type of dolphin-like marine reptiles, that lived during the Early Cretaceous around 130 million years ago. The first specimen, a partial adult skeleton, was discovered in Speeton, England, in 1958, but was not formally described until 2012 by Valentin Fischer and colleagues. They also recognised a partial subadult skeleton belonging to the genus from Cremlingen, Germany, and specimens from other localities in England. The genus contains the single species ''Acamptonectes densus''; the generic name means "rigid swimmer" and the specific name means "compact" or "tightly packed". The generic name refers to unusual adaptations in the body of ''Acamptonectes'' that made its trunk rigid, including tightly fitting bones in the occiput (back and lower part of the skull) and interlocking vertebral centra ("bodies" of the vertebrae), which were likely adaptations that enabled it to swim at high speeds with a tuna-like ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ophthalmosaurinae
Ophthalmosaurinae is an extinct subfamily of ophthalmosaurid thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the late Early Cretaceous (Bajocian - Albian) of Europe, North America and South America. Currently, the oldest and the basalmost known ophthalmosaurine is ''Mollesaurus'' from the early Bajocian of Argentina. Ophthalmosaurines were characterized by a large extracondylar area of the basioccipital in the form of a thick and concave peripheral band, posterodistally deflected ulnar facet of the humerus, large ulna with concave and edgy posterior surface and ischiopubis with obturator foramen. Phylogeny Ophthalmosaurinae was named in 1887 by George H. Baur. It is a stem-based taxon defined phylogenetically for the first time by Fischer ''et al.'' (2012) as "all taxa closer to ''Ophthalmosaurus icenicus'' than to '' Platypterygius hercynicus''". The cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladis ... [...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] |
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] |
Ophthalmosauria
Ophthalmosauridae is an extinct family of thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the early Late Cretaceous (Bajocian - Cenomanian) worldwide. Almost all ichthyosaurs from the Middle Jurassic onwards belong to the family, until the extinction of ichthyosaurs in the early Late Cretaceous. Opthalmosaurids appeared worldwide during early Bajocian, subsequent to the disappearance of most other ichthyosaur lineages after the end of the Toarcian. Currently, the oldest known ophthalmosaurids is ''Mollesaurus'' from the early Bajocian of Argentina, as well as indeterminate remains of the same age from Luxembourg and Canada. Named by George H. Baur, in 1887, the family contains the basal taxa like ''Ophthalmosaurus''. Appleby (1956) named the taxon Ophthalmosauria which was followed by some authors, but these two names are often treated as synonyms; Ophthalmosauridae has the priority over Ophthalmosauria. However, some researchers argue that Ophthalmosauridae should be restricte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nannopterygius
''Nannopterygius'' (meaning "small wing/flipper" in Greek) is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous (Callovian to Berriasian stages). Fossils are known from England, Kazakhstan, Russia, and NorwayMcGowan, C. & Motani, R. (2003). ''Ichthyopterygia''. ''In'' Sues, H.-D. Handbook of Paleoherpetology, vol. 8. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, Munich, 175 pp., 19pls. and six species are currently assigned to the genus. Description ''Nannopterygius'' was small for an ichthyosaur, measuring up to long at maximum. About of this was tail, including a deeply forked and probably homocercal caudal fin. The head is long, with a typical long narrow rostrum. The eyes are large, hence its classification as an ophthalmosaurid, and have a bony sclerotic ring inside the eye socket. There are at least 60 disc-shaped vertebrae, although owing to the condition of the fossil it is not possible to tell exactly how many there were, sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ophthalmosaurus Icenicus
''Ophthalmosaurus'' (meaning "eye lizard" in Greek) is an ichthyosaur of the Jurassic period (165–150 million years ago). Possible remains from the Cretaceous, around 145 million years ago, are also known. It was a relatively medium-sized ichthyosaur, measuring long and weighing . Named for its extremely large eyes, it had a jaw containing many small but robust teeth. Major fossil finds of this genus have been recorded in Europe with a second species possibly being found in North America. Description ''Ophthalmosaurus'' was a medium-sized ichthyosaur, measuring long and weighing . It had a robust, streamlined body that was nearly as wide as it was tall in frontal view. Like other derived ichthyosaurs ''Ophthalmosaurus'' had a powerful tail ending in a pronounced bi-lobed caudal fluke whose lower half was formed around the caudal spine whereas the upper lobe was made up entirely from soft tissue. The limbs of ''Ophthalmosaurus'' were short and rounded with the forelimbs bei ... [...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] |
Mollesaurus
''Mollesaurus'' is an extinct genus of large ophthalmosaurine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from northwestern Patagonia of Argentina. Etymology ''Mollesaurus'' was named by Marta S. Fernández in 1999 and the type species is ''Mollesaurus periallus''. The generic name is derived from the name of the Los Molles Formation, where the holotype was collected, and ''sauros'', Greek for "lizard". The specific name is derived from ''periallos'', Greek for "before all others", in reference to the fact that it is the oldest ophthalmosaurid and one of the oldest thunnosaurs. History of study ''Mollesaurus'' is known from the holotype MOZ 2282 V, articulated partial skeleton which preserved partial skull and most of the vertebral column. It was collected in the Chacaico Sur locality from the ''Emileia giebeli'' ammonoid zone of the Los Molles Formation, Cuyo Group, dating to the early Bajocian stage of the Middle Jurassic, about 171.6-170 million years ago. ''Mollesaur ... [...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] |
