- Meyerasaurus
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Meyerasaurus
Temporal range: Early Jurassic, 183–180 MaThe holotype in the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Superorder: †Sauropterygia Order: †Plesiosauria Family: †Rhomaleosauridae Genus: †Meyerasaurus
Smith & Vincent, 2010Species: †M. victor Binomial name Meyerasaurus victor
(Fraas, 1910 [originally Plesiosaurus])Synonyms Plesiosaurus victor Fraas, 1910
Thaumatosaurus victor Fraas, 1910
Eurycleidus victor Zittel, 1932
Rhomaleosaurus victor Tarlo, 1960Meyerasaurus is an extinct genus of rhomaleosaurid known from Holzmaden, Baden-Württemberg of southeastern Germany.[1]
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Description
Meyerasaurus is known from the holotype SMNS 12478, articulated and complete skeleton which preserved the skull, exposed in ventral view. The skull has a length of 37 cm (15 in), and the animal is about 3.35 m (11.0 ft) in length. It was collected from the Harpoceras elegantulum-falciferum ammonoid subzones, Harpoceras falcifer zone, of the famous Posidonien-Schiefer lagerstätte (Posidonia Shale), dating to the early Toarcian stage of the Early Jurassic, about 183-180 million years ago.[1]
Etymology
Meyerasaurus was first named by Adam S. Smith and Peggy Vincent in 2010 and the type species is Meyerasaurus victor. It was originally classified as a species of Plesiosaurus, later as the second named species of Thaumatosaurus (defunct name, meaning "wonder reptile") and ultimately as a species of Eurycleidus or Rhomaleosaurus. The generic name honors the German palaeontologist Hermann von Meyer for proposing the generic name Thaumatosaurus.[1]
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References
- ^ a b c Adam S. Smith and Peggy Vincent (2010). "A new genus of pliosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Lower Jurassic of Holzmaden, Germany". Palaeontology 53 (5): 1049–1063. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00975.x. http://www.plesiosauria.com/pdf/smith&vincent_2010_meyerasaurus.pdf.
Plesiosauria Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Sauropsida · Superorder: Sauropterygia Major clades NeoplesiosauriaPliosauroideaPliosauridae · RhomaleosauridaeRelated cladesPlesiosauroidea PlesiosauridaeHydrorion · Lusonectes · Microcleidus · Occitanosaurus · Plesiosaurus · Seeleyosaurus · WestphaliasaurusCimoliasauridae / AristonectidaeAlexeyisaurus · Aphrosaurus · Aristonectes · Brancasaurus · Callawayasaurus · Elasmosaurus · Eromangasaurus · Fresnosaurus · Futabasaurus · Goniosaurus · Hydralmosaurus · Hydrotherosaurus · Libonectes · Mauisaurus · Morenosaurus · Ogmodirus · Orophosaurus · Piptomerus · Styxosaurus · Terminonatator · Thalassomedon · Tuarangisaurus · Wapuskanectes · Woolungasaurus · ZarafasauraLeptocleidiaLeptocleididaeCeraumasaurus · Dolichorhynchops · Edgarosaurus · Eopolycotylus · Georgiasaurus · Manemergus · Pahasapasaurus · Palmulasaurus · Plesiopleurodon · Polycotylus · Procotylus · Sulcusuchus · Thililua · TrinacromerumOthersPliosauroidea RhomaleosauridaeArchaeonectrus · ?Bishanopliosaurus · Borealonectes · Eurycleidus · Macroplata · Maresaurus · Meyerasaurus · Rhomaleosaurus · Sthenarosaurus · YuzhoupliosaurusPliosauridaeAttenborosaurus · Hauffiosaurus · Kronosaurus · Liopleurodon · Marmornectes · Peloneustes · Pliosaurus · Polyptychodon · Simolestes · ThalassiodraconBrachaucheninaeOthersRelated articles and categories Plesiosaurs · List of plesiosaursThis article about a plesiosaur is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.