Pleurosaurus

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Pleurosaurus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic, 152–150.8 Ma
↓
Pleurosaurus goldfussi 2.jpg
P. goldfussi fossil specimen
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Rhynchocephalia
Family: †Pleurosauridae
Genus: †Pleurosaurus
Meyer, 1831
Type species
†Pleurosaurus goldfussi
Meyer, 1831
Species
  • †P. goldfussi
    Meyer, 1831
  • †P. ginsburgi
    Fabre, 1974

Pleurosaurus (meaning "side lizard") is an extinct genus of diapsid reptiles belonging to the group Sphenodontia, extinct relatives of the modern tuatara. Pleurosaurus fossils were discovered in the Solnhofen Limestone of Bavaria, Germany and Canjuers, France. It contains two species, P. goldfussi and P. ginsburgi.[1]

Restoration

Pleurosaurus is one of the few known aquatic sphenodontians. Its body was approximately 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) long,[2] and elongated for hydrodynamic streamlining, with comparatively short limbs and a powerful tail. The body was heavily modified from those of other rhynchocephalians, including an elongated triangular skull. It swam via the use of poorly efficient axial undulatory anguilliform locomotion (the movement of the body side to side) in shallow marine environments, and was probably piscivorous.[3] It had only small limbs, which probably did not aid in swimming, and nostrils placed far back on the head, close to the eyes.[4]

History of discovery[]

Pleurosaurus was first described from the Solnhofen Limestone by Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer in 1834, based on the species Pleurosaurus goldfussi. In 1970 fossils were reported from the lithographic limestones in a quarry near the village of Aiguines in the Canjuers plateau, France. In 1974, Pleurosaurus ginsburgi was described based on MNHN 1983-4-CNJ 67, a mostly complete skeleton found at the Aiguines quarry.[1]

Description[]

Pleurosaurus goldfussi and Pleurosaurus ginsburgi are distinguished by differing skull proportions, different numbers of presacral vertebrae, and considerably shorter forelimbs on P. ginsburgi.[1]

Skulls of both species of Pleurosaurus in lateral and dorsal view
  • Pleurosaurus 783534.jpg

  • P. goldfussi

  • P. goldfussi

  • P. ginsburgi

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Dupret, V. (2004). The pleurosaurs: anatomy and phylogeny. Revue de Paléobiologie, 9: 61-80.[1]
  2. ^ Michael Benton, Vertebrate Paleontology 2009
  3. ^ Klein, Nicole; Scheyer, Torsten M. (February 2017). "Microanatomy and life history in Palaeopleurosaurus (Rhynchocephalia: Pleurosauridae) from the Early Jurassic of Germany". The Science of Nature. 104 (1–2): 4. Bibcode:2017SciNa.104....4K. doi:10.1007/s00114-016-1427-3. ISSN 0028-1042. PMID 28005148. S2CID 27133670.
  4. ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 85. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.


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