Biology:Spitrasaurus

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Short description: Extinct genus of reptiles

Spitrasaurus
Temporal range: Tithonian
~150–145 Ma
Spitrasaurus wensaasi.png
Life restoration
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Sauropterygia
Order: Plesiosauria
Family: Cryptoclididae
Genus: Spitrasaurus
Knutsen, Druckenmiller & Hurum, 2012
Species
  • S. wensaasi Knutsen, Druckenmiller & Hurum, 2012 (type)
  • S. larseni Knutsen, Druckenmiller & Hurum, 2012

Spitrasaurus is an extinct genus of cryptoclidid[1] plesiosauroid plesiosaur known from the uppermost Jurassic of central Spitsbergen, Norway [2] and likely also Kimmeridge, England .[3] It is named after a syllabic abbreviation for Spitsbergen Travel.

The holotype of S. wensaasi is PMO 219 718 and consists of sixty articulated cervical vertebrae and skull material from a juvenile,[2] and the holotype of S. larseni is SVB 1450 and also consists of cervical vertebrae.[2] A cervical vertebra, MANCH LI 5519c, was found in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in England and was tentatively assigned to cf. Spitrasaurus in 2014 after being compared to Colymbosaurus megadeirus,[3] while more possible Spitrasaurus vertebrae found at Kimmeridge reside within the collection of Steve Etches.

See also

References

  1. Benson, R. B. J.; Druckenmiller, P. S. (2013). "Faunal turnover of marine tetrapods during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition". Biological Reviews 89 (1): 1–23. doi:10.1111/brv.12038. PMID 23581455. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Espen M. Knutsen; Patrick S. Druckenmiller; Jørn H. Hurum (2012). "Two new species of long-necked plesiosaurians (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Upper Jurassic (Middle Volgian) Agardhfjellet Formation of central Spitsbergen". Norwegian Journal of Geology 92 (2–3): 187–212. ISSN 0029-196X. Low resolusion pdf High resolusion pdf
  3. 3.0 3.1 Benson, Roger B. J.; Bowdler, Timothy (2014-07-29). "Anatomy ofColymbosaurus megadeirus(Reptilia, Plesiosauria) from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the U.K., and high diversity among Late Jurassic plesiosauroids". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34 (5): 1053–1071. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.850087. ISSN 0272-4634. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2014.850087. 

Wikidata ☰ Q7578308 entry