References
Reference
Ronander, Patrick (2007) A description and phylogenetic relationship of a polycotylid plesiosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) of Goulmima, Morocco; MSc, pp.49
A description and phylogenetic relationship of a polycotylid plesiosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) of Goulmima, Morocco
Principal Author
Patrick Ronander
Header
MSc Thesis
Volume
MSc
Pages
49
Abstract
A Moroccan polycotylid plesiosaur from the early Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Goulmima Formation is described. The specimen, bought from an American fossil dealer in 2002 by the Museum of Natural History, Oslo, is a nearly complete skull of an unknown species. It is compared to the holotypes of Thililua longicollis Bardet et al. 2003 and Manemergus anguirostris Buchy et al. 2005, both from the same formation, to investigate the phylogenetic relationship between the three specimens. A phylogenetic analysis and ordinance tests suggest that they are very closely related; still they display enough important morphological differences to signify that the Oslo specimen is different enough from the two other species to warrant a further investigation and description as a new species.
Language
English