''Plesiopharos'' (derived from the Greek words πλησίος (plesios), "close" and φάρος (pharos), "

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

", because its

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

was found in the vicinity of a lighthouse + rom São Pedro deMoel) is an extinct genus of

plesiosaur The Plesiosauria or plesiosaurs are an Order (biology), order or clade of extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared in the latest Triassic Period (geology), Period, possibly in the Rhaetian st ...

from the

Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic� ...

Coimbra Formation of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. Specifically, it was discovered in São Pedro de Moel, Marinha Grande, from which the type species' binomial name, ''Plesiopharos moelensis'', derives from. At the time of its publication (2021), this plesiosaur was the most complete and oldest known from the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

Discovery

The fossils were found by two collectors, António Silva (1999) and Vítor Teixeira (2012) who donated them to the Lourinhã Museum in 2017, and were completely prepared in the Dino Parque laboratory.

Description

The ''Plesiopharos'' holotype (ML 2302) consists of parts of the fin of the arm (humerus and radius), of the right leg (femur), pelvic girdle (pubis, ilium and ischium) of the thorax (vertebrae, ribs and gastralia) and of the neck (cervical vertebra). It would be an adult animal with an estimated size between 2.5 and 2.8 m.

Classification

''Plesiopharos moelensis'' is classified as a basal member of Plesiosauroidea.

Paleoenvironment

''Plesiopharos moelensis'' was discovered at Praia da Concha, São Pedro de Moel, Marinha Grande, in layers that belong to the Coimbra Formation, which date to the

Sinemurian In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age (geology), age and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans the time between 199.5 ±0.3 annu ...

.Duarte, L.V., Comas-Rengifo, M.J., Silva, R.L., Paredes, R., and Goy, A. 2014. Carbon isotope stratigraphy and ammonite biochronostratigraphy across the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian boundary in the western Iberian margin. Bulletin of Geosciences 89: 719–736.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107207764 Plesiosauroids Sauropterygian genera Sinemurian life Early Jurassic plesiosaurs of Europe Jurassic Portugal Fossils of Portugal Fossil taxa described in 2021