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Himalayasaurus
''Himalayasaurus'' is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic Qulonggongba Formation of Tibet. The type species ''Himalayasaurus tibetensis'' was described in 1972 on the basis of fragmentary remains, including teeth, limb bones, and vertebrae.Z.-M. Dong. (1972). An ichthyosaur fossil from the Qomolangma Feng (Mt. Everest) region. ''Gu ji zhui dong wu yu gu ren lei yan jiu suo ji kan'' 9:7-10 The entire body length of ''Himalayasaurus'' is estimated to have been over in length. ''Himalayasaurus'' has since been considered a ''nomen dubium'' or "dubious name" because of the lack of features that set it apart from other ichthyosaurs, although the presence of distinct cutting edges on its teeth have more recently been proposed as a unique feature of the genus (cutting edges have also been found in the recently described ichthyosaur ''Thalattoarchon'' from the western United States). ''Himalayasaurus'' belongs to the family Shastasauridae, which includes other large-bod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaurs (Ancient Greek for "fish lizard" – and ) are large extinct marine reptiles. Ichthyosaurs belong to the order known as Ichthyosauria or Ichthyopterygia ('fish flippers' – a designation introduced by Sir Richard Owen in 1842, although the term is now used more for the parent clade of the Ichthyosauria). Ichthyosaurs thrived during much of the Mesozoic era; based on fossil evidence, they first appeared around 250 million years ago ( Ma) and at least one species survived until about 90 million years ago, into the Late Cretaceous. During the Early Triassic epoch, ichthyosaurs and other ichthyosauromorphs evolved from a group of unidentified land reptiles that returned to the sea, in a development similar to how the mammalian land-dwelling ancestors of modern-day dolphins and whales returned to the sea millions of years later, which they gradually came to resemble in a case of convergent evolution. Ichthyosaurs were particularly abundant in the Late Triassic a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shastasauridae
Shastasauridae is an extinct family of Triassic ichthyosaurs that includes the genera '' Shastasaurus'', ''Shonisaurus'' and ''Himalayasaurus''. Many other Triassic ichthyosaurs have been assigned to Shastasauridae in the past, but recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that these species form an evolutionary grade of early ichthyosaurs rather than a true clade or evolutionary grouping that can be called Shastasauridae. Shastasauridae was named by American paleontologist John Campbell Merriam in 1895 along with the newly described genus ''Shastasaurus''. In 1999, Ryosuke Motani erected the clade Shastasauria to include ''Shastasaurus'', ''Shonisaurus'', and several other traditional shastasaurids, defining it as a stem-based taxon including "all merriamosaurians more closely related to '' Shastasaurus pacificus'' than to ''Ichthyosaurus communis''." He also redefined Shastasauridae as a node-based taxon including "the last common ancestor of ''Shastasaurus pacificus'' and '' Besan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qulonggongba Formation
The Qulonggongba Formation is a Late Triassic (Norian) geologic formation in Nyalam County, Tibet, near to the border with Nepal, that is part of the Langjiexue Group.M.-M. Chang and F. Jin. (1996). Mesozoic fish faunas of China. In G. Arriata & G. Viohl (ed.), ''Mesozoic Fishes - Systematics and Paleoecology'' 1:461-478 It would have been a marine environment and the Qulonggongba Formation was first identified by Z-M Dong in 1972. Paleofauna *'' Veteranella'' ('' Ledoides'') ''langnongensis''Z. J. Fang, J. H. Chen, C. Z. Chen, J. G. Sha, X. Lan and S. Z. Wen. (2009). Supraspecific taxa of the Bivalvia first named, described, and published in China (1927-2007). '' The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions'', New Series *''Himalayasaurus tibetensis ''Himalayasaurus'' is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic Qulonggongba Formation of Tibet. The type species ''Himalayasaurus tibetensis'' was described in 1972 on the basis of fragmentary remains, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thalattoarchon
''Thalattoarchon'' is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic of the western United States. The type species ''Thalattoarchon saurophagis'' (meaning "lizard-eating sovereign of the sea" in Greek) was discovered in Nevada, USA, in 2010 and formally described in 2013. It is known from a single skeleton, holotype FMNH PR 3032, consisting of a partial skull, vertebral column, hip bones, and parts of the hind fins. The total length of ''Thalattoarchon'' is estimated to have been at least . ''Thalattoarchon'' is thought to have been one of the first marine macropredators capable of eating prey that was similar in size to itself, an ecological role that can be compared to that of modern orcas. ''Thalattoarchon'' lived four million years after the first appearance of ichthyosaurs in the Early Triassic and is therefore the oldest known marine reptile to have been an apex predator. It lived eight million years after the Permian-Triassic extinction event, indicating a fast r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Ichthyosaurs
This list of ichthyosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Ichthyosauria or the parent clade Ichthyopterygia, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (''nomen dubium''), or were not formally published (''nomen nudum''), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered ichthyopterygian. Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygians shall be noted as such. This list contains 108 genera. Scope and terminology There is no official, canonical list of ichthyosaur genera but one of the most thorough attempts can be found at the "Ichthyosauromorpha" section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive. Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include: * Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timeline Of Ichthyosaur Research
This timeline of ichthyosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ichthyosauromorphs, a group of secondarily aquatic marine reptiles whose later members superficially resembled dolphins, sharks, or swordfish. Scientists have documented ichthyosaur fossils at least as far back as the late 17th century. At that time, a scholar named Edward Lhwyd published a book on British fossils that misattributed some ichthyosaur vertebrae to actual fishes; their true nature was not recognized until the 19th century. In 1811, a boy named Joseph Anning discovered the first ichthyosaur fossils that would come to be scientifically recognized as such. His sister Mary would later find the rest of its skeleton and would go on to become a respected fossil collector and paleontologist in her own right. Early researchers recognized ichthyosaurs as marine reptiles, but major aspects of their anatomy and behavior needed to be resolved. They were freque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. The corresponding series (stratigraphy), series of rock beds is known as the Upper Triassic. The Late Triassic is divided into the Carnian, Norian and Rhaetian Geologic time scale, Ages. Many of the first dinosaurs evolved during the Late Triassic, including ''Plateosaurus'', ''Coelophysis'', and ''Eoraptor''. The Triassic–Jurassic extinction event began during this epoch and is one of the five major mass extinction events of the Earth. Etymology The Triassic was named in 1834 by Friedrich August von Namoh, Friedrich von Alberti, after a succession of three distinct rock layers (Greek meaning 'triad') that are widespread in southern Germany: the lower Buntsandstein (colourful sandstone'')'', t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family (taxonomy), family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, Monpa, Tamang people, Tamang, Qiang people, Qiang, Sherpa people, Sherpa and Lhoba peoples and now also considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people, Hui settlers. Since Annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China, 1951, the entire plateau has been under the administration of the People's Republic of China, a major portion in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and other portions in the Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of . Located in the Himalayas, the highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain, rising 8,848.86 m (29,032 ft) above sea level. The Tibetan Empire emerged in the 7th century. At its height in the 9th century, the Tibet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type Species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen(s). Article 67.1 A similar concept is used for suprageneric groups and called a type genus. In botanical nomenclature, these terms have no formal standing under the code of nomenclature, but are sometimes borrowed from zoological nomenclature. In botany, the type of a genus name is a specimen (or, rarely, an illustration) which is also the type of a species name. The species name that has that type can also be referred to as the type of the genus name. Names of genus and family ranks, the various subdivisions of those ranks, and some higher-rank names based on genus names, have such types. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nomen Dubium
In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a specimen belongs to that group or not. This may happen if the original type series (i. e. holotype, isotype, syntype or paratype) is lost or destroyed. The zoological and botanical codes allow for a new type specimen, or neotype, to be chosen in this case. A name may also be considered a ''nomen dubium'' if its name-bearing type is fragmentary or lacking important diagnostic features (this is often the case for species known only as fossils). To preserve stability of names, the ''International Code of Zoological Nomenclature'' allows a new type specimen, or neotype, to be chosen for a ''nomen dubium'' in this case. 75.5. Replacement of unidentifiable name-bearing type by a neotype. When an author considers that the taxonomic identity of a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shonisaurus
''Shonisaurus'' is a very large genus of ichthyosaur. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the marine reptile have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian age of the late Triassic period, about 237–227 million years ago. Description left, Size of ''S. popularis'' (green) and '' Shastasaurus sikanniensis'' (red) compared with a human (blue) ''Shonisaurus'' lived during the Carnian stage of the late Triassic period. ''S. popularis'' measured around in length and in body mass. A second species from British Columbia was named ''Shonisaurus sikanniensis'' in 2004. ''S. sikanniensis'' was one of the largest marine reptiles of all time, measuring and weighing . However, phylogenetic studies later showed ''S. sikanniensis'' to be a species of '' Shastasaurus'' rather than ''Shonisaurus''. A new study published in 2013 reasserted the original classification, finding it more closely related to ''Shonisaurus'' than to ''Shasta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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