Redescription of basal plesiosar

[Ben Creisler <bscreisler@yahoo.com>]

From: Ben Creisler
bscreisler@yahoo.com
 
 
New in January 2012 Journal of Paleontology:
 
 
 
 Peggy Vincent (2012)
Re-Description of A Basal Plesiosaur (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Lower 
Jurassic of England.
Journal of Paleontology 86(1):167-176 
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/11-069.1
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1666/11-069.1
　
The specimen NHMUK 39514 comprises the cranial remains of a plesiosaur found on 
the Dorset coast during the middle of the ninetieth century. It was partially 
described and figured by Owen and variously attributed to Plesiosaurus 
rostratus (Owen) and to Plesiosaurus conybeari (Sollas). NHMUK 39514 is a 
partial braincase and mandible. It differs from all other Early Jurassic 
plesiosaurs known including the two species to which it was originally 
referred. The mandible presents several pliosauromorph characters but the 
specimen is identified as Plesiosauria indet. because it has several 
plesiomorphic characters in its braincase anatomy. This assignment will prevent 
the introduction of a possible chimera in future phylogenetical analyses and 
paleobiogeographic reconstructions.