Jump to content

Ichtyosaur species uk


Patrik.S.Olsson

Recommended Posts

Hello!

I have a Ichtyosaur vertebra from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It says it's Kimmeridgian.

what Im wondering is if there are many types of ichtyosaurs that has been found in that region or if remains from these can be narrowed down to a specific species?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only listed Kimmeridgian ichthyosaur in McGowan & Motani (2003) "Ichthyopterygia" is Brachypterygius extremis.

No location was given beyond "England", and I expect that list has been widened by Steve Etches' prolific discoveries from Kimmeridge Bay.

Vertebrae on their own aren't generally identifiable past "ichthyosaur".

Edited by TqB
  • I found this Informative 1

Tarquin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 29/12/2020 at 6:26 PM, TqB said:

The only listed Kimmeridgian ichthyosaur in McGowan & Motani (2003) "Ichthyopterygia" is Brachypterygius extremis.

No location was given beyond "England", and I expect that list has been widened by Steve Etches' prolific discoveries from Kimmeridge Bay.

Confirmed. As to Steve's finds,  I'm aware of at least one that was recently described from Kimmeridge Bay: the ophthalmosaurid Thalassodraco etchesi. Apparently, however, that find derives from Early Tithonian deposits, and, thus, is younger than the material from Abingdon.

 

On 29/12/2020 at 6:26 PM, TqB said:

Vertebrae on their own aren't generally identifiable past "ichthyosaur".

Though this is largely correct, ichthyosaur vertebrate material can often be assigned to a family based on their age, especially as concerns the younger, more derived species (as there was less phylogenetic branching during these times). Also, it should be possible to differentiate between thuniform and non-thuniform earlier genera based on the ratio between width and height of the vertebrae versus their length, as thuniform swimmers - that is, the more derived genera - have shorter vertebrae.

  • I found this Informative 1

'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...