Callawayasaurus

Taxobox
name = "Callawayasaurus"
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous (Aptian)


image_size = 250px
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Plesiosauria
subordo = Plesiosauroidea
familia = Elasmosauridae
genus = "Callawayasaurus"
genus_authority = Carpenter, 1999
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"Callawayasaurus colombiensis" (type)
Wells, 1962
synonyms =
*"Alzadasaurus colombiensis"
Wells, 1962
*"Callawayosaurus"

"Callawayasaurus" is a genus of plesiosaur from the family, Elasmosauridae. When the first "Callawayasaurus" fossil was first discovered by Samuel Paul Welles in 1962, he described it as "Alzadasaurus colombiensis" before it was moved into its current genus by Kenneth Carpenter in 1999.Carpenter, K. 1999. "Revision of North American elasmosaurs from the Cretaceous of the Western Interior". "Paludicola" 2(2):148-173.]

Etymology

"Callawayasaurus" ("Callaway") is named in honor of the paleontologist, Jack M. Callaway, editor of "Ancient Marine Reptiles" who, as Carpenter put it, "in his brief career as a vertebrate paleontologist, did much to improve our understanding of marine reptiles". The familiar suffix, "-saurus" comes from the Greek "sauros" (σαυρος), meaning "lizard" or "reptile."cite web
url=http://www.ppne.co.uk/index.php?m=show&id=12604
title= ppne.co.uk entry on "Callawayasaurus"
accessdate=2008-03-06]

Description

The first skull of "Callawayasaurus" to be found was 35 cm long, [cite web
url=http://www.oceansofkansas.com/plesiosaur.html
title= oceansofkansas.com entry on "Callawayasaurus"
accessdate=2008-03-08] while the animal as a whole grew up to 8 m long. The nares of "Callawayasaurus" are elongated and positioned over the maxilla, which has 3-5 teeth.The neck contains 56nbsp;vertebrae which are relatively short compared to other elasmosaurids. "Callawayasaurus" fossils have no pectoral bars; in common with other plesiosaurs such as "Terminonatator". They also lack postaxial accessory facets. [Patrick S. Druckenmiller and Anthony P. Russell., "A new Elasmosaurid Plesiosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the lower Cretaceous Clearwater Formation, Northeastern Alberta, Canada". Vertebrate Morphology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary]

Another nearly complete skeleton was found to be slightly more robust than the holotype specimen. This subtle change may indicate sexual dimorphism.

Distribution

The fist "Callawayasaurus" remains were found in the Paja Formation near Leiva, Boyaca Colombia.The species name for the type, "columbiensis", means "from Columbia.""Callawayasaurus" are known from the Aptian faunal stage of the early Cretaceous period, which extended from 125 to 112 million years ago. [cite web
url=http://www.stratigraphy.org/geowhen/stages/Aptian.html
title= stratigraphy.org entry on Apitan stage
accessdate=2008-03-06]

References

External links

* [http://www.oceansofkansas.com/plesiosaur.html Information on plesiosaurs, including images of a "Callawayasaurus" skull]
* [http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/C/callawayasaurus_colombiensis.asp Article at Zipcode Zoo]
* [http://www.ppne.co.uk/index.php?m=show&id=12604 Article at Professor Paul's Guide to Reptiles]