Post by Vodmeister on Mar 5, 2014 22:54:58 GMT 5
Rhomaleosaurus spp.
Temporal range: Early Jurassic, Toarcian
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Rhomaleosauridae
Genus: †Rhomaleosaurus Seeley, 1874
Rhomaleosaurus (meaning "strong lizard") is an extinct genus of Early Jurassic (Toarcian age, about 183 to 175.6 million years ago) rhomaleosaurid pliosauroid known from Northamptonshire and from Yorkshire of the United Kingdom. It was first named by Harry Seeley in 1874 and the type species is Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni. It was one of the earliest large marine reptile predators which hunted in the seas of Mesozoic era. Its length was about 7 m (23 ft) long. Like other pliosaurs, Rhomaleosaurus fed on ichthyosaurs, ammonites and other plesiosaurs.
In July 1848, a fossil of a large plesiosaur was unearthed in an Alum quarry at Kettleness, near Whitby, in Yorkshire, England. It was collected from the A. bifrons ammonite zone of the Whitby Mudstone Formation, dating to the early Toarcian age, about 183 to 180 million years ago.[1] The complete skeleton which preserved the skull, NMING F8785, was kept for five years at Mulgrave Castle, which was then owned by the Marquess of Normanby. In 1853, the Marquess introduced the interesting finding to the eminent Irish surgeon and anatomist, Sir Philip Crampton. The same year, Crampton transferred the fossil to Dublin to be displayed as a centrepiece at the 1853 British Association annual meeting. The Zoological Society of Ireland built a specially constructed building to house the large reptile. After a decade, still remaining undescribed, the specimen moved in the Royal Dublin Society museum and officially described by Alexander Carte and W. H. Bailey as a new species of Plesiosaurus. Carte and Bailey named the species Plesiosaurus cramptoni after the Irish scientist, Sir Philip Crampton. In 1874, the British geologist Harry G. Seeley, based on this finding, which is now known as the holotype of the family Rhomaleosauridae, recognized and erected a new genus establishing Rhomaleosaurus. Only in 2006 the skull of this specimen was finally prepared and enabled a restudy of this genus.[2]
R. propinquus is known from the holotype WM 852.S, articulated almost complete skeleton which preserved the skull, exposed in dorsal view. It was collected from the A. serpentines ammonoid zone, of the Whitby Mudstone Formation, dating to the middle Toarcian stage, about 180-177 million years ago. R. propinquus was first named by Tate and Blake in 1876 as a new species of Plesiosaurus. Watson (1910) redescribed it as a species of Rhomaleosaurus. Adam S. Smith (2007), in his thesis on the anatomy and classification of the family Rhomaleosauridae, suggested that R. propinquus, is a junior synonym of Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus.[1] Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.[2]
R. thorntoni is known from the holotype BMNH R4853, three-dimensional, partially complete skeleton which preserved most of the skull and mandibles. It was collected from Kingsthorp of Northamptonshire, dating to the Toarcian stage. It is the only well-known British Toarcian rhomaleosaurid discovered away from the Yorkshire coast, to date. R. thorntoni was first named by Andrews in 1922 and later revised by Cruickshank (1996) as a junior synonym of R. cramptoni, alongside with R. zetlandicus. Adam S. Smith (2007) and Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.
R. zetlandicus is known from the holotype YORYM G503, a nearly complete skull and vertebral column in association with parts of the limbs. It was collected from the Alum Shale of Whitby Mudstone Formation, Yorkshire, dating to the Toarcian stage. R. thorntoni was first named by Phillips in 1854 and its skull was described in detail by Taylor (1992). Later it was revised by Cruickshank (1996) as a junior synonym of R. cramptoni, alongside with R. thorntoni. Adam S. Smith (2007) and Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhomaleosaurus
Temporal range: Early Jurassic, Toarcian
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Rhomaleosauridae
Genus: †Rhomaleosaurus Seeley, 1874
Rhomaleosaurus (meaning "strong lizard") is an extinct genus of Early Jurassic (Toarcian age, about 183 to 175.6 million years ago) rhomaleosaurid pliosauroid known from Northamptonshire and from Yorkshire of the United Kingdom. It was first named by Harry Seeley in 1874 and the type species is Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni. It was one of the earliest large marine reptile predators which hunted in the seas of Mesozoic era. Its length was about 7 m (23 ft) long. Like other pliosaurs, Rhomaleosaurus fed on ichthyosaurs, ammonites and other plesiosaurs.
In July 1848, a fossil of a large plesiosaur was unearthed in an Alum quarry at Kettleness, near Whitby, in Yorkshire, England. It was collected from the A. bifrons ammonite zone of the Whitby Mudstone Formation, dating to the early Toarcian age, about 183 to 180 million years ago.[1] The complete skeleton which preserved the skull, NMING F8785, was kept for five years at Mulgrave Castle, which was then owned by the Marquess of Normanby. In 1853, the Marquess introduced the interesting finding to the eminent Irish surgeon and anatomist, Sir Philip Crampton. The same year, Crampton transferred the fossil to Dublin to be displayed as a centrepiece at the 1853 British Association annual meeting. The Zoological Society of Ireland built a specially constructed building to house the large reptile. After a decade, still remaining undescribed, the specimen moved in the Royal Dublin Society museum and officially described by Alexander Carte and W. H. Bailey as a new species of Plesiosaurus. Carte and Bailey named the species Plesiosaurus cramptoni after the Irish scientist, Sir Philip Crampton. In 1874, the British geologist Harry G. Seeley, based on this finding, which is now known as the holotype of the family Rhomaleosauridae, recognized and erected a new genus establishing Rhomaleosaurus. Only in 2006 the skull of this specimen was finally prepared and enabled a restudy of this genus.[2]
R. propinquus is known from the holotype WM 852.S, articulated almost complete skeleton which preserved the skull, exposed in dorsal view. It was collected from the A. serpentines ammonoid zone, of the Whitby Mudstone Formation, dating to the middle Toarcian stage, about 180-177 million years ago. R. propinquus was first named by Tate and Blake in 1876 as a new species of Plesiosaurus. Watson (1910) redescribed it as a species of Rhomaleosaurus. Adam S. Smith (2007), in his thesis on the anatomy and classification of the family Rhomaleosauridae, suggested that R. propinquus, is a junior synonym of Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus.[1] Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.[2]
R. thorntoni is known from the holotype BMNH R4853, three-dimensional, partially complete skeleton which preserved most of the skull and mandibles. It was collected from Kingsthorp of Northamptonshire, dating to the Toarcian stage. It is the only well-known British Toarcian rhomaleosaurid discovered away from the Yorkshire coast, to date. R. thorntoni was first named by Andrews in 1922 and later revised by Cruickshank (1996) as a junior synonym of R. cramptoni, alongside with R. zetlandicus. Adam S. Smith (2007) and Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.
R. zetlandicus is known from the holotype YORYM G503, a nearly complete skull and vertebral column in association with parts of the limbs. It was collected from the Alum Shale of Whitby Mudstone Formation, Yorkshire, dating to the Toarcian stage. R. thorntoni was first named by Phillips in 1854 and its skull was described in detail by Taylor (1992). Later it was revised by Cruickshank (1996) as a junior synonym of R. cramptoni, alongside with R. thorntoni. Adam S. Smith (2007) and Smith and Gareth J. Dyke (2008) considered this species to be valid.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhomaleosaurus
