Ichthyosauria; Ophthalmosauridae; Barremian; Early Cretaceous; Russia; Ecological diversity
Abstract :
[en] A new ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur, Sveltonectes insolitus gen. et sp. nov., is
described from a sub-complete and three-dimensionally preserved specimen from the late
Barremian of western Russia. This new taxon is supported by 11 cranial, dental, and
postcranial autapomorphies, and is also characterized by features previously considered as
autapomorphic for some other Ophthalmosauridae, such as a processus narialis on the
prefrontal and relatively long hindfins with pre- and postaxial accessory digits. We conducted
a new phylogenetic analysis of Thunnosauria, which supports a ‘Stenopterygius-origin’ for
Ophthalmosauridae. Sveltonectes is regarded as the sister taxon of Aegirosaurus, which shares
a similar skull roof construction. Contrary to most other Cretaceous ichthyosaurs,
Sveltonectes is characterized by delicate and sharply pointed teeth, confirming that the
Ophthalmosauridae were ecologically highly diversified during the Early Cretaceous
Research Center/Unit :
Centre de Geosciences
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Fischer, Valentin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléontologie animale et humaine
Masure, Edwige; Université Pierre et Marie Currie - Paris 6 - UPMC > UMR CNRS 7207
Arkhangelsky, Maxim; Saratov State university
Godefroit, Pascal; Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique > Paléontologie
Language :
English
Title :
A new Barremian (Early Cretaceous) ichthyosaur from western Russia
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