Cymbospondylus pdf available (finally)

[Renesto Silvio Claudio <silvio.renesto@uninsubria.it>]

Sorry for cross posting.
Just to inform  that the pdf of the paper 

Balini M. and Renesto S. C.
Cymbospondylus vertebrae (Ichcthyosauria, Shastasauridae) from the upper 
Anisian Prezzo Limestone (Middle Triassic, Southern Alps) with an overview of 
the chronbostratigraphic distribution of the group .

Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 118 n.1 (2012)

  is finally available. Those interested can ask directly to me (if those who 
already asked wil ask again I will be grateful) , I warn you that the pdf is 
rather huge (dont ask me why, ), about 3MB .

Abstract:
Four vertebral centra from the well known fossil-bearing Prezzo Limestone 
(Upper Anisian, Middle Triassic) at the newly discovered locality Piazza 
Brembana (Bergamo) are described. The four bones were found exposed on the bed 
surface in an articulated position. Despite the incompleteness of three centra 
due to erosion, their otherwise fairly good preservation facilitated their 
study and attribution to a shastasaurid ichthyosaur. Even though the 
classification of isolated vertebral centra at the genus level is 
controversial, the presence of diapophyses truncated by the cranial margin of 
the centra is still considered to be diagnostic for Cymbospondylus. The new 
discovery comes from an ammonoid-bearing facies, which is not unusual for 
ichthyosaurs, and the bio-chronostratigraphic position of the Piazza Brembana 
bones is accurately defined by ammonoids from the lowest part of the Trinodosus 
Zone (Illyrian, Middle Triassic). Records of Cymbospondylus in the Southern 
Alps, Germanic Basin, western United States and Spitsbergen are summarized and 
all previous occurrences of the genus are bio-chronostratigraphically 
correlated by utilizing the abundant ammonoid literature. The single occurrence 
of Phantomosaurus neubigii is also considered, since this species is regarded 
in the literature as the sister taxon of Cymbospondylu. Material referred to 
Cymbospondylus extends from a single occurrence in the Olenekian (late Early 
Triassic) to the Longobardian (Late Ladinian), and its stratigraphic 
distribution is strictly controlled by the development of basins. Within these 
basins the distribution of specimens appears to include relatively protected 
and shallow waters. Such a distribution is consistent with the mode of life of 
this group of ichthyosaurs as suggested by morphofunctional analysis. 
Cymbospondylus, like most Triassic Ichthyosaurs, probably was an undulatory 
swimmer, more maneuverable but slower than their Jurassic successors.

Best regards,

                                                                           
Silvio



"Live until old, learn until old"  
Ancient saying from  Baguazhang  Masters .

Silvio C. Renesto
Associate Professor of Palaeontology
DiSTA (Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences)
Università degli Studi dell'Insubria
via Dunant 3
21100 Varese Italy

my professional website:
http://dipbsf.uninsubria.it/paleo/
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http://wendigo.vecchiaforesta.it/