Pelagosaurus
|
Pelagosaurus Temporal range: 183–176 Ma Toarcian |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Cast of Pelagosaurus typus (skeleton and scutes) at Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | Diapsida |
| Infraclass: | Archosauromorpha |
| (unranked): | Mesoeucrocodylia |
| Suborder: | Thalattosuchia |
| Family: | Teleosauridae |
| Genus: |
Pelagosaurus Bronn, 1841 |
| Binomial name | |
|
Pelagosaurus typus Bronn, 1841 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Pelagosaurus (meaning "lizard of the open sea") is an extinct genus of thalattosuchian crocodyliform that lived during the Toarcian stage of the Lower Jurassic, around 183 Ma to 175 Ma (million years ago), in shallow epicontinental seas that covered much of what is now Western Europe. The systematic taxonomy of Pelagosaurus has been fiercely disputed over the years, and was assigned to Thalattosuchia after its systematics within Teleosauridae were disputed. Pelagosaurus measured 3 m (10 ft) in length with a weight of 450 kg (1000 lbs), and was markedly similar to the modern-day gharial, which has similar adaptions and carnivorous feeding habits.
Pelagosaurus was originally described from a specimen from Normandy, but the holotype for P. typus was discovered north of the town of Ilminster in Somerset, England. Most Pelagosaurus remains have been found in the Ilminster area, but numerous other remains, predominantly skulls and articulated skeletons, have been found around Western Europe in locations such as France, Germany, and Switzerland. Specimens from the Somerset region come primarily from the Strawberry Bank quarry north of Ilminster; although the site had yielded other fossil remains before, the site has since been built over. One of the specimens was that of a small juvenile, providing some insight into Pelagosaurus' growth pattern.
The evolutionary relationships of Pelagosaurus has been confusing as there have been three different interpretations of its placement in Thalattosuchia.
Pelagosaurus was initially classified as a teleosaurid, based upon anatomical similarity, by Eudes-Deslongchamps, Westphal and Duffin.
...
Wikipedia