References
Reference
Großmann, Franziska (2007) The taxonomic and phylogenetic position of the plesiosauroidea from the Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale of south-west Germany; Palaeontology, 50(3), pp.545-564
The taxonomic and phylogenetic position of the plesiosauroidea from the Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale of south-west Germany
Principal Author
Franziska Großmann
Header
Academic paper
Journal
Palaeontology
Volume
50
Issue
3
Pages
545-564
Abstract
The two plesiosauroid species from the Posidonia shale of Holzmaden, �Plesiosaurus� guilelmiimperatoris and �Plesiosaurus� brachypterygius, do not belong to Plesiosaurus but form new monotypic genera. The new genus Hydrorion is erected for �P.� brachypterygius, and the genus Seeleyosaurus is re-established for �P.� guilelmiimperatoris. The recently described species Plesiopterys wildii is regarded as a junior synonym of S. guilelmiimperatoris. A short phylogenetic analysis shows that S. guilelmiimperatoris and Muraenosaurus are basal elasmosaurs. H. brachypterygius, Occitanosaurus tournemirensis from France and Microcleidus homalospondylus from England form a monophyletic clade, which is the sister taxon to the Cretaceous elasmosaurs. A palaeobiogeographical comparison of plesiosaur localities in the Lower Jurassic shows distinct palaeobiogeographical zones for the Toarcian, with different plesiosaur taxa in England, Germany and France
Language
English