Lepidosaurs

Rhynchocephalians

Research

* A study on the morphological diversity and rates of morphological evolution of extinct and extant

rhynchocephalia Rhynchocephalia (; ) is an order of lizard-like reptiles that includes only one living species, the tuatara (''Sphenodon punctatus'') of New Zealand. Despite its current lack of diversity, during the Mesozoic rhynchocephalians were a diverse g ...

ns is published by Herrera-Flores, Stubbs &

Benton Benton may refer to: Places Canada *Benton, a local service district south of Woodstock, New Brunswick *Benton, Newfoundland and Labrador United Kingdom * Benton, Devon, near Bratton Fleming * Benton, Tyne and Wear United States *Benton, Alabam ...

(2017); the study is subsequently criticized by Vaux ''et al.'' (2019). * A study on the bone

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

and growth of the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

pleurosaurid ''

Palaeopleurosaurus ''Palaeopleurosaurus'' is an extinct genus of diapsid reptiles belonging to the group Sphenodontia.Dupret, V. (2004). The pleurosaurs: anatomy and phylogeny. ''Revue de Paléobiologie'', 9: 61-8/ref> ''Palaeopleurosaurus'' fossils were discov ...

'' is published by Klein & Scheyer (2017). * Jaws of '' Clevosaurus brasiliensis'' affected by osteomyelitis are described from the

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 ...

(

Norian The Norian is a division of the Triassic Period. It has the rank of an age (geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian. Stratigraphic defi ...

) Candelária Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence (

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) by Romo-de-Vivar-Martínez ''et al.'' (2017).

New taxa

Lizards and snakes

Research

* A study comparing

inner ear The inner ear (internal ear, auris interna) is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In vertebrates, the inner ear is mainly responsible for sound detection and balance. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the ...

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

of ''

Dinilysia ''Dinilysia'' (meaning "terrible ilysia") is an extinct genus of snake from the Late Cretaceous ( Coniacian) of South America. ''Dinilysia'' was a relatively large ambush predator, measuring approximately long. The skull morphology of ''Dinilys ...

patagonica'' and extant lizards and snakes is published by Palci ''et al.'' (2017). * An overview of the discoveries of

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...

lizards from

is published by Simões ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the origins of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n fauna of lizards and snakes is published by Oliver & Hugall (2017). * A study on the nomenclature and phylogenetic relationships of the lizard species assigned to the genus ''

Necrosaurus ''Palaeovaranus'' is an extinct genus of varanoid lizards from the Late Eocene of France and Germany. It contains two species, ''Palaeovaranus cayluxensis'' and ''Palaeovaranus giganteus'' (formerly assigned to a separate genus ''Melanosauroid ...

'' is published by Georgalis (2017), who assigns the species ''Necrosaurus cayluxi'' and '' Melanosauroides giganteus'' to the genus ''

Palaeovaranus ''Palaeovaranus'' is an extinct genus of varanoid lizards from the Late Eocene of France and Germany. It contains two species, ''Palaeovaranus cayluxensis'' and ''Palaeovaranus giganteus'' (formerly assigned to a separate genus ''Melanosauroid ...

'' and names a new family

Palaeovaranidae Palaeovaranidae, formerly known as Necrosauridae, is an extinct clade of varanoid lizards known from the Paleogene of Europe. It contains three genera. Genera * '' Eosaniwa'' Haubold, 1977 Geiseltal, Germany, Eocene * ''Palaeovaranus'' Zittel ...

. * A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of '' Eichstaettisaurus schroederi'' and ''

Ardeosaurus ''Ardeosaurus'' is an extinct genus of basal lizards, known from fossils found in the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Plattenkalk of Bavaria, southern Germany. It was originally thought to have been a species of ''Homeosaurus''. ''Ardeosaurus'' was ...

digitatellus'' is published by Simões ''et al.'' (2017). * A redescription of the anatomy of the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

specimen of the teiid species ''

Callopistes bicuspidatus ''Callopistes'' is a lizard genus in the family Teiidae. It includes two extant species, which are native to Ecuador, Peru and Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the so ...

'' from the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

–early

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

is published by Brizuela & Albino (2017). * An almost complete skull and a few associated postcranial bones of the

lacertid The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found i ...

'' Dracaenosaurus croizeti'' are described from the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

locality of Cournon (south-central

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) by Čerňanský ''et al.'' (2017). * A description of the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of the putative

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

amphisbaenia Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of usually legless squamates, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As ...

n '' Slavoia darevskii'' and a study on its implications for the evolution of the postcranial skeleton of amphisbaenians is published by Tałanda (2017). * Description of a new specimen of ''

Geiseltaliellus ''Geiseltaliellus'' is an extinct genus of iguanian lizards that lived in what is now western Europe during the Eocene. It belongs to the family Corytophanidae, which includes modern casquehead lizards. Many fossils are known from Germany, France ...

maarius'' from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

Messel pit (

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

), preserving details of the squamation, is published by Smith (2017). * A study testing whether extant

anole Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles () and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat it as a subfami ...

species adapted to similar ecological niches have similar semicircular canal morphologies, as well as a reconstruction of the

vestibular system The vestibular system, in vertebrates, is a sensory system that creates the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes ...

in five

anoles from the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

and a study on their ecology is published by Dickson ''et al.'' (2017). * An autotomized tail of a shinisaurid is described from the

Messel pit (

) by Smith (2017). * Fossils of a

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recogn ...

are described from the middle

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

by Georgalis, Villa & Delfino (2017), representing the most recent known record of the family Varanidae from Europe. * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of members of

Mosasaur Mosasaurs (from Latin ''Mosa'' meaning the 'Meuse', and Greek ' meaning 'lizard') comprise a group of extinct, large marine reptiles from the Late Cretaceous. Their first fossil remains were discovered in a limestone quarry at Maastricht on th ...

oidea is published by Simões ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the robustness of the hypotheses about mosasauroid phylogenetic relationships and a reevaluation of the dataset from the study of Simões ''et al.'' (2017) is published by Madzia & Cau (2017). * A revision of mosasauroids from the

Upper Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...

marine sediments associated with

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

n landmasses is published by Jiménez-Huidobro, Simões & Caldwell (2017). * A redescription of ''

Mosasaurus ''Mosasaurus'' (; "lizard of the Meuse River") is the type genus (defining example) of the mosasaurs, an extinct group of aquatic squamate reptiles. It lived from about 82 to 66 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages o ...

hoffmannii'' based on examination of many specimens is published by Street & Caldwell (2017), who also provide emended diagnoses for both the genus ''Mosasaurus'' and its type species ''M. hoffmannii''. * A study on the presence of

ligament A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the: * Peritoneal li ...

ous tooth attachment in mosasaurs and in fossil and modern snakes is published by LeBlanc, Lamoureux & Caldwell (2017). * A

pachyostotic Pachyostosis is a non-pathological condition in vertebrate animals in which the bones experience a thickening, generally caused by extra layers of lamellar bone. It often occurs together with bone densification (osteosclerosis), reducing inner ca ...

marine squamate specimen belonging to the family Pachyophiidae, consisting of 29 vertebrae, is described from the

(

Turonian The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous Epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 93.9 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.8 ± 1 Ma (million years ago). The Turonian is preceded by t ...

) of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

by Đurić ''et al.'' (2017). * An overview of the snake fossil record from

is published by Onary, Fachini & Hsiou (2017). * A redescription of the type material of ''

Gigantophis ''Gigantophis'' is an extinct genus represented by its sole member ''Gigantophis garstini'', a giant snake. Before the Paleocene constrictor genus ''Titanoboa'' was described from Colombia in 2009, ''Gigantophis garstini'' was regarded as the la ...

garstini'', a reevaluation of referred material from

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of ''Gigantophis'' and other madtsoiids is published by Rio & Mannion (2017). * Snake fossils, including the first record of an indigenous member of the genus ''

Pantherophis ''Pantherophis'' is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes endemic to central and eastern regions of North America. It consists of the North American ratsnakes, the foxsnakes, and the cornsnakes. The genus, which contains 10 recognized specie ...

'' in

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

and the first reported member of the genus '' Nerodia'' in the fossil record of West Indies, are described from the late

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

by Mead & Steadman (2017). * A large viperine snake assigned to the genus ''

Macrovipera ''Macrovipera'', known as the large Palearctic vipers,Spawls S, William Roy "Bill" Branch, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is a genus of Viperinae, vipers that inhabit the S ...

'' is reported from the early

Vallesian The Vallesian age is a period of geologic time (11.6–9.0 Ma) within the Miocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Turolian age and follows the Astaracian age. The so-called Vallesian Crisis resulted in the e ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

by Codrea ''et al.'' (2017), representing the first occurrence of this genus in the late Miocene of eastern Romania.

New taxa

Ichthyosauromorphs

Research

* A study on the emergence date and changes of the evolutionary rate during the ichthyosauromorph evolution is published by Motani ''et al.'' (2017). * A jaw fragment of a member of the genus ''

Omphalosaurus ''Omphalosaurus'' (from the Greek root "Button Lizard", for their button-like teeth) is an extinct genus of marine reptile from the Early Triassic to Middle Triassic, thought to be in the order of Ichthyosauria. Most of what is known about ''O ...

'' is described from the

Middle Triassic In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy. The Middle Triassic spans the time between Ma and ...

(

Anisian In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from million years ago until million years ago. The Anisian Age succeeds the Olenekian Age (part of the Lower Triassic Ep ...

) Karchowice Formation (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

) by Wintrich, Hagdorn & Sander (2017), representing the first record of ''Omphalosaurus'' from shallow marine carbonates and from the

Muschelkalk The Muschelkalk (German for "shell-bearing limestone"; french: calcaire coquillier) is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata (a lithostratigraphic unit) in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic (240 to 230 million ye ...

facies. * Description of three nearly complete and well-preserved skulls of ''

Chaohusaurus ''Chaohusaurus'' is an extinct genus of basal ichthyopterygian, depending on definition possibly ichthyosaur, from the Early Triassic of Chaohu and Yuanan, China. Discovery The type species ''Chaohusaurus geishanensis'' was named and des ...

chaoxianensis'', revealing new information on the skull anatomy of the species, is published by Zhou ''et al.'' (2017). * A specimen of ''Ichthyosaurus somersetensis'' containing an embryo, representing the largest unequivocal specimen of a member of the genus ''Ichthyosaurus'', is described from the Lower Jurassic (lower

Hettangian The Hettangian is the earliest age and lowest stage of the Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (My ...

) Blue Lias Formation (

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

) by Lomax & Sachs (2017). * Plet ''et al.'' (2017) report the presence of

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

and

white blood cell White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cell (biology), cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and de ...

-like structures as well as platelet-like structures,

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole ...

and

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

in a vertebra of a member of the genus ''

Stenopterygius ''Stenopterygius'' is an extinct genus of thunnosaur ichthyosaur known from Europe (England, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland). This genus of ichthyosaur was about long and weighed .Huene F. von 1939. Ein ganzes Ichthyosaurier-Skelett ...

'' from

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarcian ...

Posidonia Shale The Posidonia Shale (german: Posidonienschiefer, also called Schistes Bitumineux in Luxembourg) geologically known as the Sachrang Formation, is an Early Jurassic (Toarcian) geological formation of southwestern and northeast Germany, northern Swit ...

(

). * An articulated skeleton of an

ophthalmosaurid 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 ex ...

ichthyosaur is described from the

Upper Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987. In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...

( Kimmeridgian) Katrol Formation (

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) by Prasad ''et al.'' (2017).

New taxa

Sauropterygians

Research

* A study on the mechanisms generating vertebral counts and their regionalisation during embryo development that were responsible for high plasticity of the body plan of sauropterygians is published by Soul & Benson (2017). * A study on the evolution of the anatomy of the inner ear of sauropterygians is published by Neenan ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the

of the occlusal surface of placodont teeth and its implications for the diet of the placodonts is published by Crofts ''et al.'' (2017). * New specimen of ''

Dianmeisaurus ''Dianmeisaurus'' is an extinct genus of pachypleurosaur from the Middle Triassic Guanling Formation in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, wit ...

gracilis'' is described from the

Guanling Formation The Guanling Formation is a Middle Triassic (Anisian or Pelsonian in the regional chronostratigraphy) geologic formation in southwestern China. Description The formation encompasses two members. The first member is primarily calcareous mudston ...

(

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) by Shang, Li & Wu (2017). * Fossilized soft tissues preserved with skeletal remains of

nothosaur Nothosaurs (order Nothosauroidea) were Triassic marine sauropterygian reptiles that may have lived like seals of today, catching food in water but coming ashore on rocks and beaches. They averaged about in length, with a long body and tail.F. v. ...

s from

are described by Surmik, Rothschild & Pawlicki (2017). * Description of a new specimen of '' Lariosaurus xingyiensis'' from the

Falang Formation Farang ( fa, فرنگ) is a Persian (and Southeast Asian) word that originally referred to the Franks (the major Germanic tribe) and later came to refer to White Europeans in general. The word "Farang" is a cognate and originates from Old F ...

(

) and a phylogenetic analysis of the family Nothosauridae is published by Lin ''et al.'' (2017), who transfer the species ''"

Nothosaurus ''Nothosaurus'' ("false lizard", from the Ancient Greek (), "illegitimate", and (), "lizard") is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile from the Triassic period, approximately 240–210 million years ago, with fossils being distributed from ...

" juvenilis'', ''"N." youngi'' and ''"N." winkelhorsti'' to the genus ''Lariosaurus''. * Evidence of septic necrosis and decompression syndrome-associated

avascular necrosis Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis or bone infarction, is death of bone tissue due to interruption of the blood supply. Early on, there may be no symptoms. Gradually joint pain may develop which may limit the ability to move. Co ...

affecting bones of ''

Pistosaurus ''Pistosaurus'' (''pistos'' in Greek meaning 'credible' and ''sauros'' 'lizard') is an extinct genus of aquatic sauropterygian reptile closely related to plesiosaurs. Fossils have been found in France and Germany, and date to the Middle Triassi ...

longaevus'' is reported by Surmik ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the skeletal anatomy of ''

Bobosaurus ''Bobosaurus'' is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile related to plesiosaurs. It is based on the holotype MFSN 27285, a partial skeleton found in Early Carnian-age rocks (early Late Triassic) of the Rio del Lago Formation, northe ...

forojuliensis'' is published by Dalla Vecchia (2017). * A study on the function of the long neck in plesiosaurs as indicated by the anatomy of the neck is published by Noè, Taylor & Gómez-Pérez (2017). * A study on the large, paired openings in the neck vertebrae of plesiosaurs and their implications for inferring the anatomy of the

vascular system The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

in the neck of plesiosaurs is published by Wintrich, Scaal & Sander (2017). * A study on the swimming method of plesiosaurs is published by Muscutt ''et al.'' (2017). * An assessment of the completeness of the plesiosaur fossil record is published by Tutin & Butler (2017). * A description of a new specimen of ''

Colymbosaurus ''Colymbosaurus'' is a genus of cryptoclidid plesiosaur from the Late Jurassic ( Callovian-Tithonian) of the UK and Svalbard, Norway. There are two currently recognized species, ''C. megadeirus'' and ''C. svalbardensis''. Both species are relat ...

svalbardensis'' from the

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 the K ...

–

Berriasian In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age/stage of the Early/Lower Cretaceous. It is the oldest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It has been taken to span the time between 145.0 ± 4.0 Ma and 139.8 ± 3.0 Ma (million years ago) ...

Agardhfjellet Formation (

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

), a reevaluation of the diagnostic features of the species and a study on its phylogenetic relationships is published by Roberts ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the tooth formation cycle in elasmosaurid plesiosaurs is published by Kear ''et al.'' (2017). * A redescription of the

specimen of ''

Tuarangisaurus ''Tuarangisaurus'' ( mi, tuarangi "ancient" + el, σαῦρος, sauros "lizard") is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid known from New Zealand. The type and only known species is ''Tuarangisaurus keyesi'', named by Wiffen and Moisley in 1986. D ...

keyesi'' and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by O'Gorman ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the anatomy of the vertebra of '' Vegasaurus molyi'' and its implications for the anatomy of the nervous system of the species is published by O'Gorman & Fernandez (2017). * A study on the skeletal

and

of a

perinatal Prenatal development () includes the development of the embryo and of the fetus during a viviparous animal's gestation. Prenatal development starts with fertilization, in the germinal stage of embryonic development, and continues in fetal devel ...

aristonectine Aristonectinae is a clade of plesiosaurs in the family Elasmosauridae. It includes the Late Cretaceous plesiosaurs ''Aristonectes'' and '' Kaiwhekea'', traditionally grouped with the Late Jurassic ''Tatenectes'' and ''Kimmerosaurus'' in the fami ...

plesiosaur The Plesiosauria (; Greek: πλησίος, ''plesios'', meaning "near to" and ''sauros'', meaning "lizard") or plesiosaurs are an order or clade of extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared ...

specimen recovered from the

Lopez de Bertodano Formation The Lopez de Bertodano Formation is a geological formation in the James Ross archipelago of the Antarctic Peninsula. The strata date from the end of the Late Cretaceous (upper-lower Maastrichtian stage) to the Danian stage of the lower Paleocene ...

(

Seymour Island Seymour Island or Marambio Island, is an island in the chain of 16 major islands around the tip of the Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. Graham Land is the closest part of Antarctica to South America. It lies within the section of the isla ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

) is published by O'Gorman, Talevi & Fernández (2017). * A redescription of the anatomy of the

skull of ''

Morturneria ''Morturneria'' is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now Antarctica. History of research The Lopez de Bertodano Formation is located on Seymour Island, Antarctica, with exposures present in all but the norther ...

seymourensis'' is published by O'Keefe ''et al.'' (2017). * A reappraisal and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of ''

Mauisaurus ''Mauisaurus'' ("Māui lizard") is a dubious genus of plesiosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now New Zealand. Numerous specimens have been attributed to this genus in the past, but a 2017 paper restricts ''Mauisaurus ...

'' is published by Hiller ''et al.'' (2017). * ''

Libonectes ''Libonectes'' is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order. It is known from specimens found in the Britton Formation of Texas (USA) and the Akrabou Formation of Morocco, which have been dated to the lower Tur ...

atlasense'' is redescribed by Sachs & Kear (2017), who consider this species to be likely

synonymous A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

with ''Libonectes morgani''. * An elasmosaurid specimen closely related to '' Vegasaurus molyi'', ''

Kawanectes ''Kawanectes'' (meaning "Kawas swimmer") is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur, a type of long-necked marine reptile, that lived in the marginal marine ( estuarine) environment of Late Cretaceous Patagonia. It contains one species, ''K. lafquen ...

lafquenianum'', ''

Morenosaurus ''Morenosaurus'' is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Cretaceous of what is now California. The type species is ''Morenosaurus stocki'', first named by Samuel Welles in 1943, in honor of Dr. Chester Stock.Hilton, Richard P., ''Dinosaurs ...

stocki'' and aristonectines is described from the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...

(late

Maastrichtian The Maastrichtian () is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the latest age (uppermost stage) of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or Upper Cretaceous Series, the Cretaceous Period or System, and of the Mesozoic Era or Erathem. It spanned the interval from ...

)

(

) by O’Gorman & Coria (2017), who name a new elasmosaurid clade Weddellonectia.

New taxa

Turtles

Research

* A study on the evolution of the turtle vertebral column as indicated by the anatomy of the

turtles and a phylogenetic analysis (which also tests the suggested relationship of ''

Eunotosaurus ''Eunotosaurus'' (''Latin'': Stout-backed lizard) is an extinct genus of amniote, possibly a close relative of turtles. ''Eunotosaurus'' lived in the late Middle Permian (Capitanian stage) and fossils can be found in the Karoo Supergroup of Sout ...

africanus'' and '' Pappochelys rosinae'' to turtles) is published by Szczygielski (2017). * A study on the evolution of turtle neck anatomy based on data from fossil and extant taxa is published by Böhmer & Werneburg (2017). * A study on the morphological diversity of the skulls of the fossil turtles through time is published by Foth, Ascarrunz & Joyce (2017). * A review of the

basalmost In phylogenetics, basal is the direction of the ''base'' (or root) of a rooted phylogenetic tree or cladogram. The term may be more strictly applied only to nodes adjacent to the root, or more loosely applied to nodes regarded as being close to th ...

known members of

Testudinata Testudinata is the group of all tetrapods with a true turtle shell. It includes both modern turtles (Testudines) and many of their extinct, shelled relatives (stem-turtles). Though it was first coined as the group containing turtles by Jacob The ...

is published by Joyce (2017), who defines new clades

Mesochelydia Mesochelydia (from Greek ''mesos'' "middle" and ''chelys'' "turtle") is a clade within Pantestudines, more inclusive than Perichelydia, but less than Testudinata. The clade is known from the Early Jurassic to the Present, and contains all Jurassic ...

(the clade that arises from the most recent common ancestor of ''

Condorchelys ''Condorchelys'' was a genus of stem turtle from Early Jurassic Cañadon Asfalto Formation of Argentina. Only one species is described, ''Condorchelys antiqua''.Sterli, 2008 References Bibliography

* Prehistoric turtle genera Baj ...

antiqua'', ''

Eileanchelys ''Eileanchelys'' is an extinct genus of primitive turtle from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) period some 164 million years ago of Britain. Only one species is recorded, ''Eileanchelys waldmani''. It is the best-represented turtle from the Midd ...

waldmani'', '' Heckerochelys romani'' and ''

Kayentachelys ''Kayentachelys'' ("Kayenta turtle") is an extinct genus of turtle known only from the "silty facies" of the Lower Jurassic Kayenta Formation in northeastern Arizona on the lands of the Navajo Nation. History of discovery and significance The e ...

aprix'') and

Perichelydia Perichelydia (from Greek ''peri'' "near" and ''chelys'' "turtle") is a clade within Pantestudines (turtles and their extinct relatives) known from the Middle Jurassic to Holocene. Alongside crown group Testudines, it also contains Helochelydrida ...

(the clade that arises from the most recent common ancestor of '' Meiolania platyceps'', '' Helochelydra nopcsai'', '' Sichuanchelys chowi'' and ''

Testudo graeca The Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known commonly as the spur-thighed tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. ''Testudo graeca'' is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoises (genera '' Testudo'' and '' Ag ...

''). * A method of inferring habitats of extinct turtles based on measurements of the shell is proposed by Lichtig &

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, also known as "lucas ligner en torsk" * ''Lucas'' (album) (2007), an album by Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities * ''L ...

(2017). *

Meiolaniid Meiolaniidae is an extinct family of large, probably herbivorous stem-group turtles with heavily armored heads and tails known from South America and Australasia. Though once believed to be cryptodires, they are not closely related to any living ...

fossils are described from the

Rundle Formation (eastern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

) by Poropat ''et al.'' (2017), representing the oldest meiolaniid remains found in

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

to date. * Reconstructions of the

of the brain,

and nasal cavities in the meiolaniids ''

Niolamia ''Niolamia'' is an extinct genus of South American meiolaniid turtle. Arthur Smith Woodward classified it as being in the genus ''Meiolania'', which this genus name is an anagram of, but this was not accepted by later authors. The genus is know ...

argentina'', '' Gaffneylania auricularis'' and '' Meiolania platyceps'' are presented by Paulina-Carabajal ''et al.'' (2017). * New fossil material of '' Jiangxichelys ganzhouensis'' is described by Tong ''et al.'' (2017), who also transfer the species ''" Zangerlia" neimongolensis'' to the genus ''Jiangxichelys''. * A juvenile specimen of ''

Manchurochelys ''Manchurochelys'' is an extinct genus of turtle in the order Paracryptodira. It existed during the early Cretaceous of what is now northeast China. It has been found in the Jianshangou Bed of West Liaoning's Yixian Formation. However, it is a ...

manchoukuoensis'' is described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation (

) by Shao ''et al.'' (2017). * A redescription of ''

Ctenochelys ''Ctenochelys'' is an extinct genus of marine turtle (Cryptodira, Pancheloniidae), which existed during the Cretaceous period, and lived in the shallow waters of the Western Interior Seaway. Its fossils have been found in the Ripley Formation a ...

acris'' based on several specimens from the

(early Campanian)

Mooreville Chalk The Mooreville Chalk is a geological formation in North America, within the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi, which were part of the subcontinent of Appalachia. The strata date back to the early Santonian to the early Campanian stage of ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

(

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

) is published by Gentry (2017). * Description of a new specimen of '' Camerochelys vilanovai'' from the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Pérez-García, Sáez-Benito & Murelaga (2017). * Description of new specimens of the

baenid Baenidae is an extinct family of paracryptodiran turtles known from the Early Cretaceous to Eocene of North America. While during the Early Cretaceous they are found across North America, during the Late Cretaceous they are only found in Laramidi ...

species ''Baena arenosa'' and ''

Chisternon ''Chisternon'' is a genus of baenid turtles from the Eocene of North America. References *''The Osteology of the Reptiles'' by Alfred Sherwood Romer External links''Chisternon''in the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an ...

undatum'' from the

Uinta Formation The Uinta Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in northeastern Utah. The name appears on a geologic map accompanying the Clarence King Fortieth Parallel report for 1876 but not defined until 1878 as the Uinta Group. As defined, ...

(

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

) is published by Smith ''et al.'' (2017). * A revision of the Late Jurassic turtle taxa traditionally assigned to the families

Eurysternidae Eurysternidae is an extinct family of turtles in the clade Thalassochelydia. It consists of several genera of marine turtles from marine deposits in Europe, including '' Achelonia'', '' Chelonides'', ''Eurysternum''. '' Hydropelta'', '' Chelonide ...

Plesiochelyidae The Plesiochelyidae are an extinct family of turtles in the clade Thalassochelydia originally classified within the Cryptodira suborder, mostly belonging from the Jurassic period. An alternate study placed the clade Thalassochelydia in the Angola ...

and Thalassemydidae is published by Anquetin, Püntener & Joyce (2017), who hypothesize that these taxa form a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

group named

Thalassochelydia Thalassochelydia is a clade of extinct marine turtles from the Late Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous of Europe and South America. The group is defined as including ''Eurysternum'', ''Plesiochelys'' and ''Thalassemys'' to the exclusion of ''Pelome ...

. * A description of the skull

of ''

Anosteira ''Anosteira'' is an extinct genus of carettochelyid turtle from the Eocene to the Oligocene of Asia and North America. Taxonomy After * ''Anosteira manchuriana'' Zangerl, 1947 Liaoning, China, late Eocene * ''Anosteira maomingensis'' Chow a ...

maomingensis'' is published by Danilov ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the

of the shell bones of '' Kizylkumemys schultzi'' is published by Skutschas ''et al.'' (2017). * Morphologically and histologically diagnostic trionychid specimens are reported from the

(

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is preceded ...

–

Aptian The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ago), a ...

) of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

by Nakajima ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the shell morphology, phylogenetic relationships and paleoecology of the Cretaceous trionychid '' Helopanoplia distincta'' is published by Joyce & Lyson (2017). * A redescription of the holotype specimen of '' Procyclanorbis sardus'' (a

trionychid from

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) is published by Georgalis ''et al.'' (2017). * Fossilized shell remains of geoemydids, kinosternids and a chelydrid are described from five

localities belonging to the Tablazo Formation (

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

) by Cadena, Abella & Gregori (2017). * Fossils of a member of the

tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...

genus ''

Titanochelon ''Titanochelon'' is an extinct genus of giant tortoises known from the Early Miocene to the beginning of the Pleistocene in Europe, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to Anatolia. Some members of the genus were larger than extant giant tortoise ...

'' are described from the early

by Pérez-García, Vlachos & Arribas (2017), representing the youngest evidence of a large tortoise in continental Europe. * Redescription of the giant fossil tortoise ''"Testudo" gymnesica'' from the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

(

) and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Luján ''et al.'' (2017). * New, more complete fossil material of the

species ''

Procolpochelys ''Procolpochelys'' is an extinct genus of sea turtle from the Miocene of what is now Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. Its fossils have been found in the Calvert Formation. It was first named by Hay in 1908. References External links ''Pro ...

charlestonensis'', as well as fused

dentaries In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

of a late

member of the genus ''

Euclastes ''Euclastes'' is an extinct genus of sea turtles that survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction. The genus was first named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1867, and contains three species. ''E. hutchisoni'', was named in 2003 but has since b ...

'' (the most recent fossils of a member of the genus reported so far) are described from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

by Weems & Brown (2017). * Lindgren ''et al.'' (2017) examine, at the molecular level, details of the soft tissue anatomy of the

specimen of ''

Tasbacka ''Tasbacka'' is an extinct genus of sea turtle containing several species. Though the type species, ''T. aldabergeni'', has only been found in Kazakhstan, ''Tasbacka'' had a wide distribution. ''T. ruhoffi'' was found in the eastern USA, ''T. d ...

danica''. * A study on the anatomy of the neck vertebrae of the Late Jurassic

pleurodire The Pleurodira are one of the two living suborders of turtles, the other being the Cryptodira. The division between these two suborders represents a very deep evolutionary divide between two very different types of turtles. The physical differen ...

'' Platychelys oberndorferi'' and its implications for the mechanism allowing neck and head retraction in this species is published by Anquetin, Tong & Claude (2017). * A study on the anatomy of the shell and pelvis of the specimens of ''Platychelys oberndorferi'' from

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

is published by Sullivan & Joyce (2017). * A plate from the

Lower Cretaceous Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...

(uppermost

Hauterivian The Hauterivian is, in the geologic timescale, an age in the Early Cretaceous Epoch or a stage in the Lower Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 132.9 ± 2 Ma and 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Hauterivian is preceded by the Va ...

-basal

) El Castellar Formation (

) is interpreted as the oldest known record of the stem-pleurodire family

Dortokidae Dortokidae is an extinct family of freshwater pan- pleurodiran turtles, known from the Cretaceous and Paleocene of Europe. Only four species have been named, but indeterminate fossils show that they were abundant across western and eastern-central E ...

by Pérez-García, Cobos & Royo-Torres (2017). * A description of a large shell fragment from the

Marília Formation The Marília Formation is a geological formation in Minas Gerais state of southeastern Brazil. Its strata date back to the Maastrichtian, and are part of the Bauru Group. The fossil-bearing Serra da Galga and Ponte Alta members were originally tho ...

(

), interpreted as belonging to the largest podocnemidoid turtle reported from the

Bauru Basin The Bauru Group is a geological group of the Bauru Sub-basin, Paraná Basin in Minas Gerais, São Paulo, General Salgado, Itapecuru-Mirim, Mato Grosso, Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils ...

so far, is published by Hermanson, Ferreira & Langer (2017). * A study on the skulls of the

- podocnemidid ''

Bauruemys ''Bauruemys'' is an extinct genus of turtles in the family Podocnemididae. A study on the skulls of the Late Cretaceous stem-podocnemidid ''Bauruemys elegans'' from the Presidente Prudente Formation in Brazil is published by Mariani & Romano (20 ...

elegans'' from the

Presidente Prudente Formation The Presidente Prudente Formation is a geological formation of the Bauru Group in the Paraná Basin, located in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Campanian to Early Maastrichtian The Maastrichtian () is, in the ICS geologic timescale, ...

(

) is published by Mariani & Romano (2017), who interpret all specimens as belonging to the same species and likely to the same population, assess the

ontogenetic Ontogeny (also ontogenesis) is the origination and development of an organism (both physical and psychological, e.g., moral development), usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the st ...

changes in the skull of ''B. elegans'' and tentatively assess the changes of eating preference habits over ontogeny in the species. * Two incomplete hatchling specimens of members of the genus '' Araripemys'' are described from the

Crato Formation (

) by Oliveira &

Kellner Kellner is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Ádám Kellner (born 1986), Hungarian tennis player * Alex Kellner (1924–1996), baseball pitcher * Alexander Kellner (born 1961), Brazilian paleontologist * Birgit Kellner, Austria ...

(2017). * A revision of the fossil turtles from the

clays in the vicinities of

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

(

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

) is published by Zvonok & Danilov (2017).

New taxa

Archosauriformes

Archosaurs

Other archosauriforms

* A study on the microstructure of the

osteoderm Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates, or other structures based in the dermis. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles and amphibians, including lizards, crocodilians, frogs, temnospondyls (extinct amp ...

s of doswelliids and proterochampsids, as well as its implications for inferring the paleoecology of members of these groups, is published by Ponce ''et al.'' (2017). * ''

Diandongosuchus ''Diandongosuchus'' is an extinct genus of archosauriform reptile, possibly a member of the Phytosauria, known from the Middle Triassic of China. The type species ''Diandongosuchus fuyuanensis'' was named in 2012 from the Falang Formation of Yunn ...

fuyuanensis'', originally thought to be a member of

Poposauroidea Poposauroidea is a clade of advanced pseudosuchians (archosaurs closer to crocodilians than to dinosaurs). It includes poposaurids, shuvosaurids, ctenosauriscids, and other unusual pseudosuchians such as ''Qianosuchus'' and ''Lotosaurus''. Howeve ...

, is reinterpreted as a

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

phytosaur by Stocker ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the

of the braincase of the phytosaur ''

Wannia ''Wannia'' is an extinct genus of basal phytosaur reptile known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian or early Norian stage) of Texas, southern United States. It contains a single species, ''Wannia scurriensis'', which is known from a single s ...

scurriensis'' is published by Lessner & Stocker (2017). * A description of the morphology of the

sacrum The sacrum (plural: ''sacra'' or ''sacrums''), in human anatomy, is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part ...

of ''

Smilosuchus ''Smilosuchus'' (meaning "chisel crocodile") is an extinct genus of leptosuchomorph parasuchid from the Late Triassic of North America. History The type species was first described in 1995 as a replacement generic name for ''Leptosuchus g ...

adamanensis'' is published by Griffin ''et al.'' (2017).

Other reptiles

Research

* A study on the

red blood cell Red blood cells (RBCs), also referred to as red cells, red blood corpuscles (in humans or other animals not having nucleus in red blood cells), haematids, erythroid cells or erythrocytes (from Greek ''erythros'' for "red" and ''kytos'' for "holl ...

size in fossil

tetrapod Tetrapods (; ) are four-limbed vertebrate animals constituting the superclass Tetrapoda (). It includes extant and extinct amphibians, sauropsids ( reptiles, including dinosaurs and therefore birds) and synapsids (pelycosaurs, extinct theraps ...

s, especially archosauromorph reptiles and synapsids, as indicated by bone microstructure, is published by Huttenlocker & Farmer (2017). * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of

mesosaur Mesosaurs ("middle lizards") were a group of small aquatic reptiles that lived during the early Permian period, roughly 299 to 270 million years ago. Mesosaurs were the first known aquatic reptiles, having apparently returned to an aquatic life ...

s and other early reptiles is published by

Laurin Laurin is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Anna-Lena Laurin (born 1962), Swedish composer * Camille Laurin (1922–1999), psychiatrist and politician in Quebec, Canada * Dan Laurin (born 1960), Swe ...

& Piñeiro (2017); this study is subsequently reevaluated by MacDougall ''et al.'' (2018). * A study on the diet of the mesosaurs from the Early Permian

Irati Formation Irati Formation is the name of a geological formation of the Paraná Basin in Brazil. It has previously been dated as Late Permian using palynomorphs, but is now dated as Early Permian using zircon ages obtained from bentonite layers. The base of ...

(

) and

Mangrullo Formation The Mangrullo Formation is an Early Permian (Artinskian) fossiliferous geological formation in northeastern Uruguay.Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

) is published by Da Silva ''et al.'' (2017). * A specimen of the mesosaur species ''

Stereosternum ''Stereosternum tumidum'' (meaning "rigid chest") (Stereos, Greek: “solid, firm”; Sternon, Greek: “chest, breastbone”) is an extinct genus of mesosaur marine reptile from the Early Permian of Brazil and also the Great Karoo Basin of Sout ...

tumidum'' affected by congenital

scoliosis Scoliosis is a condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"- or "C"-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not t ...

is described from the

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

by Szczygielski ''et al.'' (2017). * New

cranial Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

material of ''

Colobomycter ''Colobomycter'' is an extinct genus of lanthanosuchoid parareptile known from the Early Permian of Oklahoma. Discovery The type species, ''Colobomycter pholeter'', was first described from fossil remains in 1958, at which time it was beli ...

pholeter'', revealing previously unknown aspects of the anatomy of the skull, is described by Macdougall ''et al.'' (2017). * A study on the bone

pareiasaur Pareiasaurs (meaning "cheek lizards") are an extinct clade of large, herbivorous parareptiles. Members of the group were armoured with scutes which covered large areas of the body. They first appeared in southern Pangea during the Middle Permian, ...

s from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and its implications for the lifestyle and growth patterns of pareiasaurs is published by Canoville & Chinsamy (2017). * A study on rates of morphological evolution in members of the family Captorhinidae and on whether changes of evolutionary rates coincided with shifts in diet is published by Brocklehurst (2017). * A study on the phylogenetic relationships, species richness and morphological diversity of captorhinids is published by Romano, Brocklehurst & Fröbisch (2017). * Partial

maxilla The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The t ...

ry toothplate of an early reptile, probably a juvenile specimen of ''

Labidosaurikos ''Labidosaurikos'' is a genus of extinct captorhinid anapsid reptile that lived around 279 to 272 million years ago during Kungurian age of the lower Permian. The American paleontologist John Willis Stovall first described ''Labidosaurikos'' in ...

meachami'', is described from the Lower

Arroyo Formation The Arroyo Formation is a geologic formation in Texas.Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

) by Jung & Sumida (2017). * Description of a juvenile specimen ''

Eusaurosphargis ''Eusaurosphargis'' is an extinct genus of a diapsid reptile, known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian and Ladinian age) Besano Formation of northern Italy and Prosanto Formation of south-eastern Switzerland. It contains a single species, ''Eusa ...

dalsassoi'' from the

(

Ladinian The Ladinian is a stage and age in the Middle Triassic series or epoch. It spans the time between Ma and ~237 Ma (million years ago). The Ladinian was preceded by the Anisian and succeeded by the Carnian (part of the Upper or Late Triassic). ...

) Upper Prosanto Formation (

), interpreted as most likely to be a terrestrial animal, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Scheyer ''et al.'' (2017). * A restudy of '' Arctosaurus osborni'' is published by Sues (2017), who considers this species to be an archosauromorph reptile, possibly an allokotosaurian. * A study on the geological setting, anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of the rhynchosaur species ''

Supradapedon ''Supradapedon'' is an extinct genus of hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur from mid-late Triassic deposits of Tanganyika Territory, Tanzania. It is known from the holotype SAM-11704. The holotype and only specimen of ''Supradapedon'' was first assign ...

stockleyi'' is published by Langer, da Rosa & Montefeltro (2017). * A specimen of ''

Dinocephalosaurus ''Dinocephalosaurus'' (meaning "terrible-headed reptile") is a genus of long necked, aquatic protorosaur that inhabited the Triassic seas of China. The genus contains the type and only known species, ''D. orientalis'', which was named by Li in ...

'' containing an embryo, providing evidence of live birth in this taxon, is described from the

by Liu ''et al.'' (2017). * A well-preserved, curled-up skeleton of an embryo of a marine

protorosaur Protorosauria is an extinct polyphyletic group of archosauromorph reptiles from the latest Middle Permian (Capitanian stage) to the end of the Late Triassic ( Rhaetian stage) of Asia, Europe and North America. It was named by the English anato ...

related to ''Dinocephalosaurus'' is described from the

(

) by Li, Rieppel & Fraser (2017). * A study on the

of the postcranial bones of '' Tanystropheus'' and ''

Macrocnemus ''Macrocnemus'' is an extinct genus of archosauromorph reptile known from the Middle Triassic (Late Anisian to Ladinian) of Europe and China. ''Macrocnemus'' is a member of the Tanystropheidae family and includes three species''. Macrocnemus bass ...

'', and its implications for the ecology and mode of growth in these taxa, is published by Jaquier & Scheyer (2017). * A skeleton of a member of the genus ''Macrocnemus'' related to the species ''M. fuyuanensis'' is described from the

Besano Formation The Besano Formation is a geological formation in the southern Alps of northwestern Italy and southern Switzerland. This formation, a short but fossiliferous succession of dolomite and black shale, is famous for its preservation of Middle Triassic ...

(

) by Jaquier ''et al.'' (2017). * Diverse archosauromorph tracks are described from the

Early Triassic The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic Period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between Ma and Ma (million years ago). Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic Series, which is a un ...

( Olenekian) of the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

by Mujal ''et al.'' (2017), who name a new ichnotaxon ''

Prorotodactylus ''Prorotodactylus'' is a dinosauromorph or pterosauromorph ichnogenus known from fossilized footprints found in Poland and France. The prints may have been made by a dinosauromorph that was a precursor to the dinosaurs, possibly closely related ...

mesaxonichnus'' described on the basis of footprints which might have been left by a euparkeriid or a similar

archosauriform Archosauriformes (Greek for 'ruling lizards', and Latin for 'form') is a clade of diapsid reptiles that developed from archosauromorph ancestors some time in the Latest Permian (roughly 252 million years ago). It was defined by Jacques Gauthier ...

New taxa

References

{{reflist 2017 in paleontology 2010s in paleontology 2017 in science