Ceresiosaurusis anextinctaquaticgenusoflariosaurinenothosauridsauropterygianknown from theMiddle Triassic(Anisian-Ladinianboundary) ofMonte San Giorgio,southernSwitzerlandand northernItaly.Ceresiosaurus, meaning "Lizard ofCeresio"(Ceresio is the name of theLake Lugano,inSwitzerland). Thetype species,Ceresiosaurus calcagnii,was named byBernhard Peyerin1931.C. calcagniiis known from both the Cava superiore and Cava inferiore beds of the Lower Meride Limestone at Monte San Giorgio, dating to the latest Anisian of the Middle Triassic.[1]Rieppel (1998) suggested that the back thenmonospecificgenusCeresiosaurus,is ajunior synonymof the better knownLariosaurus,yet he kept it type species as a separate species under the new combinationL. calcagnii.[2]In 2004, however, this synonymy was objected by Hänni who described and name a second species ofCeresiosaurus,C. lanzi- a separation supported by several other authors since. This species is known only from thestratigraphicallyyounger Cassima beds of Monte San Giorgio, although also from the Lower Meride Limestone, dating to possibly the lowestLadinianage. The species in a subtropicallagoonalenvironment with varying open marine influences, and alongside many related but smaller species ofnothosauridsandpachypleurosaurids.Ceresiosaurusrepresents one of the largest vertebrate of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) snout-tail length from the very diversified paleoenvironment of the Middle Triassic Monte San Giorgio.[1]
| Ceresiosaurus Temporal range:Middle Triassic,
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Ceresiosaurus calcagniifossil | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Nothosauroidea |
| Family: | †Nothosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Lariosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Ceresiosaurus Peyer,1931 |
| Type species | |
| †Ceresiosaurus calcagnii Peyer,1931
| |
| Species | |
Palaeobiology
edit
Ceresiosauruswas much more elongated than its relatives, reaching 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length, and had fully developed flippers with no trace of visible toes. It had multiple elongatedphalanges,making the flippers much longer than in most other nothosaurs, and more closely resembling those of the laterplesiosaurs.[3]Ceresiosaurusalso had the shortestskullof any known nothosaur, which further increased its resemblance to plesiosaurs.
Although possessing a long neck and tail,Ceresiosaurusmay not have swum byundulatingits body. Analysis of the bone structure of the hips and powerful tail suggest that it instead propelled itself through the water much like apenguin.[citation needed]The evidence ofpachypleurosaursin the preserved stomach ofCeresiosaurusremains lend credence to the theory of it being a fast swimmer.
References
edit- ^abHugi, Jasmina (October 2011)."The long bone histology ofCeresiosaurus(Sauropterygia, Reptilia) in comparison to other eosauropterygians from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland/Italy) "(PDF).Swiss Journal of Palaeontology.130(2): 297–306.Bibcode:2011SwJP..130..297H.doi:10.1007/s13358-011-0023-6.S2CID128688930.
- ^Rieppel, Olivier (1998)."The status of the sauropterygian reptile generaCeresiosaurus,Lariosaurus,andSilvestrosaurusfrom the Middle Triassic of Europe ".Fieldiana: Geology.New Series.38:1–46.
- ^Palmer, D., ed. (1999).The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals.London: Marshall Editions. p. 73.ISBN1-84028-152-9.
External links
edit
 | This article about aTriassicreptileis astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |