View source for Biology:Purranisaurus

{{Short description|Extinct genus of reptiles}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|fossil_range = Tithonian<br />
|image =  
|image_caption = 
|taxon = Purranisaurus
|authority = Rusconi 1948<ref name="Rusconi, 1948">Rusconi C. 1948. Nuevo plesiosaurio, pez y langostas del mar jurasico de Mendoza. ''Mendoza, Mus. Hist. Nat., Rev.'' '''2''': 3–12.</ref>
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision =
* ''P. potens'' <small>Rusconi 1948 ([[Biology:Type species|type]])</small>
}}

'''''Purranisaurus''''' is an extinct [[Biology:Genus|genus]] of marine crocodyliform from the Middle to Late [[Earth:Jurassic|Jurassic]] period of {{wipe|Chile}} and [[Earth:Vaca Muerta|Vaca Muerta]] of {{wipe|Argentina}}. Rusconi originally regarded ''Purranisaurus potens'' (the [[Biology:Type species|type species]]) to be a [[Biology:Plesiosaur|plesiosaur]];<ref name="Rusconi, 1948"/> however, Gasparini demonstrated that it was in fact a [[Biology:Metriorhynchidae|metriorhynchid]] crocodyliform, and that may be a junior synonym of ''[[Biology:Metriorhynchus|Metriorhynchus]]''.<ref name="Gasparini, 1974">Gasparini Z. 1975. Revisión de ?''Purranisaurus potens'' Rusconi, 1948 (Crocodilia, Thalattosuchia) Los Thalattosuchia como un nuevo Infraorden de los Crocodilia. ''Actas del Congreso Geologico Argentino'' '''5''': 423–431.</ref> It was about {{cvt|3.3|m|ft}} long.<ref>{{cite journal|year=2011|last1=Young|first1=M.T.|last2=Bell|first2=M.A.|last3=de Andrade|first3=M.B.|last4=Brusatte|first4=S.L.|title=Body size estimation and evolution in metriorhynchid crocodylomorphs: implications for species diversification and niche partitioning|journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=163|issue=4|pages=1199–1216|doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00734.x|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Taxonomy and phylogeny ==
[[File:Suchodus BW.jpg|thumb|left|Restoration of 'Metriorhynchus' ''casamiquelai'', which was at one point assigned to ''Purranisaurus'']] 
In the 2000s phylogenetic analysis has shown that ''Purranisaurus'' is a distinct metriorhynchid genus.<ref name="Young, 2007">Young MT. 2007. The evolution and interrelationships of Metriorhynchidae (Crocodyliformes, Thalattosuchia). ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'' '''27''' (3): 170A.</ref><ref name="Young&Andrade2009">Young, Mark T., and Marco Brandalise de Andrade, 2009. "What is ''Geosaurus''? Redescription of ''Geosaurus giganteus'' (Thalattosuchia: Metriorhynchidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Bayern, Germany." ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'', '''157''': 551-585.</ref> A subsequent study expanded the genus ''Purranisaurus'' to include ''Metriorhynchus casamiquelai'' and ''M. westermanni''.<ref name="Youngetal.2010">Young, Mark T., Brusatte, Stephen L., Ruta, M., Andrade, Marco B. 2009. "The evolution of Metriorhynchoidea (Mesoeucrocodylia, Thalattosuchia): an integrated approach using geometrics morphometrics, analysis of disparity and biomechanics". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' '''158''': 801-859.</ref> Following the re-description of the [[Biology:Holotype|holotype]] of the [[Biology:Type species|type species]], only that species is now referred to ''Purranisaurus''. 
<ref name=Herreraetal.2015>{{cite journal|vauthors=Herrera Y, Gasparini Z, Fernandez MS |year=2015 |title=Purranisaurus potens Rusconi, an enigmatic metriorhynchid from the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages= e904790 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2014.904790|s2cid=128937976 |hdl=11336/13737 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q267499}}

[[Category:Prehistoric pseudosuchian genera]]
[[Category:Prehistoric marine crocodylomorphs]]
[[Category:Jurassic crocodylomorphs]]



{{Sourceattribution|Purranisaurus}}