The Iberian Triassic fossil record of Sauropterygia: an update

Chaves, Carlos de Miguel; Ortega, Francisco; Pérez‐García, Adán

doi:10.1007/s41513-020-00137-w

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Reviews of the sauropterygian faunal elements from the Iberian Peninsula (Miguel Chaves et al, 2020 ; Fortuny et al, 2011 ) showed that pachypleurosaurs, besides nothosaurs, placodonts and pistosaurs, are also found in a variety of localities of Anisian and Ladinian age, with the possible exception of Vilanova de la Sal in Lleida province, which is considered to be Early Carnian in age (Fortuny et al, 2011 ), although the mentioned “Muschelkalk facies” would likely still indicate a Late Ladinian age instead. The Iberian pachypleurosaurs are yet to be described in detail and currently remain identified as Pachypleurosauria indet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new pachypleurosaur from the Early Ladinian Prosanto Formation in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland

et al. 2022

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The Alpine Prosanto Formation (Middle Triassic) cropping out in the Ducan region in eastern Switzerland has yielded a rich fish and reptile fauna. Here, we present new pachypleurosaur remains from the upper part of the formation (Early Ladinian), similar to the previously known pachypleurosaurs from the Middle Triassic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte San Giorgio in southern Switzerland/northern Italy. From these remains, a new pachypleurosaur species, Prosantosaurus scheffoldi nov. gen. et spec., is described on the basis of six fairly complete skeletons, one disarticulated specimen and an isolated skull. As is typical for pachypleurosaurs and most other Triassic marine reptiles, the new taxon is based to a large degree on a combination of characters (e.g., nasals articulating broadly with the anterior margins of the prefrontals and lacking posterior processes; postorbitals with rounded anterior processes that articulate with the postfrontals anterolaterally) rather than on many unambiguous autapomorphies, although a few of the latter were found including (1) a premaxilla which is excluded from entering both the external and internal nares and (2) a parietal, which is distinctly longer than wide and carrying distinct anterolaterally angled processes. Phylogenetic relationships of the new taxon are tested within European Pachypleurosauria, revealing that the new species is the sister taxon to a clade including Serpianosaurus, Proneusticosaurus, and the monophyletic Neusticosaurus spp. Mapping of palaeogeographic and stratigraphical distribution of valid European pachypleurosaurs shows that a formerly proposed scenario of migration of pachypleurosaurs from the eastern Palaeotethys during the Olenekian into the Germanic Basin and a subsequent diversification and invasion during the Anisian into the intraplatform basins of the South Alpine realm must be re-assessed. The exceptional preservation and preparation of the Ducan fossils further allow the description of tooth replacement patterns for the first time in a European pachypleurosaur species. The “alveolarization” of replacement teeth, the horizontal replacement pattern, and the subsequent remodelling of the functional alveoli during tooth replacement supports the monophyly of Sauropterygia as discussed before.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Iberian pachypleurosaurs are yet to be described in detail and currently remain identified as Pachypleurosauria indet. (Miguel Chaves et al, 2020 ). Rieppel et al ( 1999 ) also mentioned possible isolated postcranial material of pachypleurosaurs from the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk of Makhtesh Ramon, Negev, Israel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new pachypleurosaur from the Early Ladinian Prosanto Formation in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland

et al. 2022

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Palynological and sedimentological implications of the sauropterygian Upper Triassic site of El Atance (Central Iberian Peninsula)

García-Ávila

Horra

Chaves

et al. 2021

Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

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A new pachypleurosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China and its phylogenetic and biogeographic implications

Hu,

Li,

Liu

2024

Swiss J Palaeontol

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After the devastating Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction, several new groups of large reptilian predators invaded the sea in the early part of the Triassic. Among these predators, sauropterygians, consisting of placodonts, pachypleurosaurs, nothosaurs and pistosaurs (including the iconic plesiosaurs), displayed the greatest diversity at both the generic and species levels, and persisted from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. Here, we report a new species of Pachypleurosauria, Dianmeisaurus mutaensis sp. nov., from a recently discovered Lagerstätte in the Upper Member of the Anisian Guanling Formation. The only known specimen of the new species was collected from a quarry near Muta village, Luxi County, Yunnan Province, South China. Our new phylogenetic analysis based on a novel data matrix recovered the new taxon as a sister group to Dianmeisaurus gracilis—a small pachypleurosaur from the Middle Triassic Luoping biota. The new phylogenetic analysis also collapsed the monophyly of the traditionally recognized Eusauropterygia. Pistosauroidea, Majiashanosaurus, and Hanosaurus comprise the consecutive sister groups to a new clade including Pachypleurosauria and Nothosauroidea. A monophyletic Pachypleurosauria, within which the clade consisting of Dianmeisaurus and Panzhousaurus occupies the basal-most position, is recovered by this study. The clade consisting of Dawazisaurus and Dianopachysaurus forms the sister group to the remaining pachypleurosaurs included in this study. Since Dianmeisaurus, Panzhousaurus, Dawazisaurus, and Dianopachysaurus are all exclusively known from South China, our study provides further evidence to the hypothesis that pachypleurosaurs had a palaeobiogeographic origin in the eastern Tethys.

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The Iberian Triassic fossil record of Sauropterygia: an update

Cited by 5 publications

References 64 publications

A new pachypleurosaur from the Early Ladinian Prosanto Formation in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland

A new pachypleurosaur from the Early Ladinian Prosanto Formation in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland

Palynological and sedimentological implications of the sauropterygian Upper Triassic site of El Atance (Central Iberian Peninsula)

A new pachypleurosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China and its phylogenetic and biogeographic implications

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