Paraophthalmosaurus

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Paraophthalmosaurus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic, 150–145  Ma
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order:Ichthyosauria
Family:Ophthalmosauridae
Genus:Paraophthalmosaurus
Arkhangelsky, 1997
Species
  • P. kabanovi(Efimov, 1999)
  • P. saratoviensisArkhangelsky 1998
  • P. saveljevensisArkhangelsky, 1997 (type species)

Paraophthalmosaurus is an ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic of European Russia. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

It was originally described in 1997 on the basis of remains from the Saratov region of European Russia. It was subsequently considered either valid or a synonym of Ophthalmosaurus. [2] However, recent cladistic analysis finds it to be a derived member of Ophthalmosaurinae. [3] [4]

Ophthalmosaurinae subfamily of reptiles (fossil)

Ophthalmosaurinae is an extinct subfamily of ophthalmosaurid thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the late Early Cretaceous 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 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.

See also

Timeline of ichthyosaur research

This timeline of ichthyosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ichthyosaurs, a group of secondarily aquatic marine reptiles whose body plan is convergent with the body plans of dolphins, sharks, and 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 in her own right.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ophthalmosaurus</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Ophthalmosaurus is an ichthyosaur of the Middle Jurassic period, named for its extremely large eyes. It had a graceful 6 m (19.5 ft) long dolphin-shaped body, and its almost toothless jaw was well adapted for catching squid. Major fossil finds of this genus have been recorded in Europe and North and South America.

<i>Platypterygius</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Platypterygius is an ichthyosaur of the family Ophthalmosauridae. It is most closely related to the genera Caypullisaurus and Brachypterygius. The ichthyosaur lived from the Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian) to the earliest Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) and had a cosmopolitan distribution.

<i>Aegirosaurus</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Aegirosaurus is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs known from the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous of Europe.

Plutonisaurus is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous of the vicinity of Ulyanovsk, European Russia.

<i>Yasykovia</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Yasykovia is a genus of ichthyosaur, an extinct group of reptiles that resembled dolphins. Its fossils are known from the Volga region of Russia, being Tithonian in age. It was formerly synonymised with Ophthalmosaurus.

Ophthalmosauridae family of reptiles (fossil)

Ophthalmosauridae is an extinct family of thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the early Late Cretaceous of Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Currently, the oldest known ophthalmosaurid is Mollesaurus from the early Bajocian of Argentina. Named by George H. Baur, in 1887, it contains the basal taxa like Ophthalmosaurus. Appleby (1956) named the taxon Ophthalmosauria which was followed by some authors, but these two names are synonyms, Ophthalmosauridae has the priority over Ophthalmosauria.

<i>Brachypterygius</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Brachypterygius is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from the Late Jurassic of England. The type species was originally described and named as Ichthyosaurus extremus by Boulenger in 1904. Brachypterygius was named by Huene in 1922 for the width and shortness of the forepaddle, and the type species is therefore Brachypterygius extremus. The holotype of B. extremus was originally thought to be from the Lias Group of Bath, United Kingdom, but other specimens suggest it more likely came from the Kimmeridgian Kimmeridge Clay of Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, UK.

<i>Undorosaurus</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Undorosaurus is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from western Russia.

Mollesaurus is an extinct genus of large ophthalmosaurine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from northwestern Patagonia of Argentina.

<i>Chacaicosaurus</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Chacaicosaurus is an extinct genus of long-snouted thunnosaur ichthyosaur known from the northwestern Patagonia area of Argentina.

<i>Grendelius</i>

Grendelius is a genus of platypterygiinae ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) of the UK and European Russia.

Simbirskiasaurus is an extinct genus of Ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Ulyanovsk Province, Russia. Its type specimen is YKM 65119, a fragmentary skull and vertebral column.

Itat Formation

The Itat Formation is a geologic formation in western Siberia. It was deposited in the Bajocian to Bathonian ages of the Middle Jurassic. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, including the proceratosaurid Kileskus, caudata Urupia monstrosa, therapsida Amphibetulimus, Itatodon, Simpsonodon, Hutegotherium, Sineleutherus and dryolestidae Anthracolestes.

<i>Arthropterygius</i> species of reptile (fossil)

Arthropterygius is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur which existed in Canada, Spitsbergen and Russia during the late Jurassic period.

Sveltonectes is an extinct genus of platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs known from Ul’yanovsk region, western Russia.

Platypterygiinae subfamily of reptiles (fossil)

Platypterygiinae is an extinct subfamily of ophthalmosaurid thunnosaur ichthyosaurs from the early Late Jurassic to the early Late Cretaceous of Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Currently, the oldest known platypterygiine is Brachypterygius. Platypterygiines were characterized by square tooth roots in cross-section, an extremely reduced extracondylar area of the basioccipital, prominent dorsal and ventral trochanters on humerus and ischiopubis lacking an obturator foramen.

<i>Pervushovisaurus</i> genus of reptiles (fossil)

Pervushovisaurus is a genus of platypterygiine ichthyosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Saratov region in western Russia and the Cambridge area of the UK. It was originally described as a subgenus of Platypterygius, but later work showed that it was distinct from the type species of Platypterygius, P. platydactylus, to be elevated to full generic rank. The type species of Pervushovisaurus, P. bannovkensis, is known only from the holotype, SSU 104a/24, a partial skull. In 2016, an additional species of Platypterygius, P. campylodon, was also referred to Pervushovisaurus.

Luskhan is an extinct genus of brachauchenine pliosaur from the Cretaceous of Russia. The type and only species is Luskhan itilensis, named by Valentin Fischer and colleagues in 2017 from a well-preserved and nearly complete skeleton. As an early-diverging brachauchenine, Luskhan consequently exhibits an intermediate combination of traits seen in more basal and more derived pliosaurs. However, Luskhan departs significantly from other pliosaurs in that it exhibits a lack of adaptations in its skull to feeding on large prey; its slender snout, small teeth, and short tooth rows instead indicate a skull adapted for feeding on small, soft prey. In these features, it is the pliosaur that approaches closest to the distantly-related piscivorous polycotylids, having convergently evolved these traits more than 10 million years apart.

References

  1. M. S. Arkhangelsky. 1997. On a new genus of ichthyosaurs from the Lower Volgian substage of the Saratov, Volga Region. Paleontological Journal 21(1):87-91
  2. STORRS, G. W., ARKHANGELSKY, M. S. &E FIMOV, V . M. 2000. Mesozoic marine reptiles of Russia and other former Soviet republics. Pp. 187–210. InBENTON, M. J., SHISHKIN, M. A., UNWIN, D. M. &KUROCHKIN, E. N. (eds) The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 740 pp.
  3. M. S. Arkhangelsky and N. G. Zverkov (2014). "On a new ichthyosaur of the genus Undorosaurus" (PDF). Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 318 (3): 187–196.
  4. N. G. Zverkov, M. S. Arkhangelsky and I. M. Stenshin (2015) A review of Russian Upper Jurassic ichthyosaurs with an intermedium/humeral contact. Reassessing Grendelius McGowan, 1976. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute 318(4): 558-588