References
Reference
Araújo, Ricardo et. al. (2015) New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs; Netherlands Journal of Geosciences �� Geologie en Mijnbouw, (), pp.; DOI: 10.1017/njg.2014.43
New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs
Principal Author
Ricardo Araújo
Other Authors
Michael J. Polcyn, Anne S Schulp, A Olímpio Gonçalves, Maria Louisa Morais, Octávio Mateus, Johan Lindgren
Header
Academic paper
Journal
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences �� Geologie en Mijnbouw
Abstract
New elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens are described from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola. Phylogenetic analyses reconstruct the Angolan taxon as an aristonectine elasmosaurid and the sister taxon of an unnamed form of similar age from New Zealand. Comparisons also indicate a close relationship with an unnamed form previously described from Patagonia. All of these specimens exhibit an ostensibly osteologically immature external morphology, but histological analysis of the Angolan material suggests an adult with paedomorphic traits. By extension, the similarity of the Angolan, New Zealand and Patagonian material indicates that these specimens represent a widespread paedomorphic yet unnamed taxon.
Language
English