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Guanlingsaurus Restoration
''Guanlingsaurus'' is an extinct genus of shastasaurid ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic of China. It grew up to in length and has a wide, triangular skull with a short and toothless snout. Discovery It is known from a single species, ''Guanlingsaurus liangae'', that was found in the Carnian-age Falang Formation of Guanling County, which is in the province of Guizhou. The genus and species were first named in 2000 on the basis of an incomplete adult skeleton. More complete skeletons were described in 2011, and a complete skeleton belonging to a juvenile was described in 2013. In 2011 ''Guanlingsaurus liangae'' was reassigned to the genus ''Shastasaurus'', which includes two species from North America that are known from more complete fossils than ''Guanlingsaurus''. However, the description of the juvenile specimen in 2013 revealed several features that make ''G. liangae'' distinct from ''Shastasaurus'' species, and the name was reinstated. Description The largest specimen ... [...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'', ''Herrerasaurus'', 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grippia
''Grippia'' is a genus of early ichthyopterygian, an extinct group of reptiles that resembled dolphins. Its only species is ''Grippia longirostris''. It was a relatively small ichthyopterygian, measuring around long. Fossil remains from Svalbard from the specimen SVT 203 were originally assigned to ''G. longirostris'' but are now thought to have belonged to a non-ichthyopterygian diapsid related to '' Helveticosaurus''. Discovery Fossils have been found along the coasts of Greenland, China, Japan, Norway, and Canada ( Sulfur Mountain Formation); of Early Triassic age. No complete skeletons have ever been found. However, well-preserved remains have been found, with the most notable ones including: *The Marine Ironstone found in Agardh Bay Norway. This specimen consists of a partial skull fossil; however, it was lost during World War II and presumably destroyed. *Previously, the Vega Phroso Siltstone Member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation in British Columbia. This specimen co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shastasaurus Sikanniensis
''Shastasaurus'' ("Mount Shasta lizard") is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic.Hilton, Richard P., ''Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Animals of California'', University of California Press, Berkeley 2003 , at pages 90-91. Specimens have been found in the United States, Canada, and China. Description left, Size of '' Shonisaurus popularis'' (green) and ''S. sikanniensis'' (red), a possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', compared with a human ''Shastasaurus'' lived during the late Triassic period. The type species, ''S. pacificus'', is known from California, with the name ''Shastasaurus'' directly referencing Shasta County, Northern California, where the type specimen was found. ''S. pacificus'' was a medium-sized ichthyosaur, measuring over in length. A second possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', ''S. sikanniensis'', is known from the Pardonet Formation British Columbia, dating to the middle Norian age (about 210 million years ago). By comparison, ''S.sikanniens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shonisaurus Popularis
''Shonisaurus'' is a genus of very large ichthyosaurs. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the type species, ''Shonisaurus popularis'', have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian-early Norian age of the Late Triassic, around 227 million years ago. Other possible species of ''Shonisaurus'' have been discovered from the middle Norian deposits of Canada and Alaska. Description left, Size of ''S. popularis'' (green) and '' Shastasaurus sikanniensis'' (red) compared with a human (blue) ''Shonisaurus'' lived during the late Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic. With a large skull about long, ''S. popularis'' measured around in length and in body mass. ''S. sikanniensis'' was one of the largest marine reptiles of all time, measuring long and weighing . ''Shonisaurus'' had a long snout, and its flippers were much longer and narrower than in other ichthyosaurs. While ''Shonisaurus'' was initially reported to hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thalattoarchon Saurophagis
''Thalattoarchon'' is a genus of large, Middle Triassic Predation, predatory ichthyosaur from North America, containing the single species ''T. saurophagis''. The taxon was described in 2013 from a single specimen discovered in the Favret Formation in Nevada. The Binomial nomenclature, generic name, meaning "ruler of the seas", refers to its status as an apex predator, while the Specific name (zoology), specific epithet, meaning "lizard eater", alludes to its Carnivore, carnivorous diet. The Phylogenetic nomenclature, classification of this genus within the ichthyosaurs is much debated, being either classified within the clade Merriamosauria or in the more Basal (phylogenetics), basal family Cymbospondylidae. As an ichthyosaur, ''Thalattoarchon'' had Flipper (anatomy), flippers for Limb (anatomy), limbs and a caudal fin, fin on the tail. The size of this large ichthyosaur is estimated around long, although the authors are uncertain about the exact measurements. The animal has a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Besanosaurus
''Besanosaurus'' (meaning ) is an extinct genus of Middle Triassic ichthyosaur from Monte San Giorgio of Italy and Switzerland, containing the single species ''B. leptorhynchus''. ''Besanosaurus'' was named by Cristiano Dal Sasso and Giovanni Pinna in 1996, based on the nearly complete flattened skeleton BES SC 999, the holotype specimen. This skeleton is preserved across multiple thin rock slabs spanning when assembled and took thousands of hours to Fossil preparation, prepare. Additional specimens from Monte San Giorgio that have previously been considered separate genera, including a partial skull named ''Mikadocephalus'' and a well-preserved, largely complete skeleton, have been reinterpreted as additional specimens of ''Besanosaurus''. Putative specimens of ''Besanosaurus'' have been discovered in the Norway, Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard and Germany, although their attribution to this genus remains disputed. As an ichthyosaur, ''Besanosaurus'' had Flipper (anatomy), fli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toretocnemus
''Toretocnemus'' (meaning 'perforated tibia') is an extinct genus of ichthyosaurs that lived during the Carnian Stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Triassic in what is now North America. Two species are known, ''T. californicus'' and ''T. zitelli'', first described in 1903 by John Campbell Merriam from fossils discovered in the Hosselkus Limestone, Shasta County. The second species was first seen by Merriam as belonging to a distinct genus, but it was in 1999 that this latter was reclassified into the original taxon. ''Toretocnemus'' fossils are primarily known from California, although some specimens are also reported from Alaska and Mexico. With ''Qianichthyosaurus'', the taxon is part of the Toretocnemidae, of which it is also the type genus. History of research The specimen that would eventually be cataloged as UCMP 8100 was found along the Pit River in Shasta County, California, by Annie Montague Alexander. While much of the specimen had been lost to erosion, many eleme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Californosaurus
''Californosaurus'' ('California lizard') is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile, from the Lower Hosselkus Limestone (Carnian, Late Triassic) of California, and also the Muschelkalk (Ladinian, Middle Triassic) of Germany. Taxonomy John Campbell Merriam (1902) described it as a new species of ''Shastasaurus'', ''S. perrini'', honouring Professor James Perrin Smith as discoverer, based on holotype UCMP 9119. He later recognized the species as generically distinct from the ''Shastasaurus'' type species, in 1905 erecting ''Delphinosaurus'' for ''S. perrini''. However, ''Delphinosaurus'' had in 1853 by Eichwald been previously used for an ophthalmosaurid from Albian-Cenomanian deposits in European Russia, ''Delphinosaurus kiprijanoffii'', and Oscar Kuhn (1934) provided the generic replacement name ''Californosaurus''. Merriam (1938) independently erected ''Perrinosaurus'' to replace ''Delphinosaurus'', but this is a junior objective synonym. Description The l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cymbospondylus Piscosus
''Cymbospondylus'' (meaning "cupped vertebrae") is an extinct genus of large ichthyosaurs, of which it is among the oldest representatives, that lived from the Lower to Middle Triassic in what are now North America and Europe. The first known fossils of this taxon are a set of more or less complete vertebrae which were discovered in the 19th century in various mountain ranges of Nevada, in the United States, before being named and described by Joseph Leidy in 1868. It is in the beginning of the 20th century that more complete fossils were discovered through several expeditions launched by the University of California, and described in more detail by John Campbell Merriam in 1908, thus visualizing the overall anatomy of the animal. While many species have been assigned to the genus, only five are recognized as valid, the others being considered synonymous, doubtful or belonging to other genera. ''Cymbospondylus'' was formerly classified as a representative of the Shastasauridae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phalarodon Fraasi
''Phalarodon'' is an extinct genus of mixosaurid ichthyosaur known from the Middle Triassic (247.2-242.0 million years ago). Its name is derived from the Greek φάλαρα (''phálara'') ("boss on the cheek plate of a helmet") and ''odon'' ("tooth"). The genus has had a tumultuous history since its classification in 1910, with different workers describing species under different genera or declaring the genus to be a ''nomen dubium''. Currently three species are recognized, but more have been identified in the past. Discovery and history The holotype of ''Phalarodon fraasi'', which consisted of a skull and several jaw fragments, was collected by John Campbell Merriam from Fossil Hill in the West Humboldt Range of Nevada, and was subsequently described by Merriam in 1910. Since then, the species has also been found in the Guizhou Province of China, as well as the Botneheia Formation on the islands of Svalbard in Norway. In 2004, a reanalysis of the available mixosaurid mate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
