Abstract
Cervical vertebrae of elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauroidea) have proven to be informative even at family level. The present paper uses a previously developed methodology based on bivariate graphic analysis that evaluates the proportion indices of cervical vertebrae in elasmosaurids, which is applied to a well-preserved postcranial specimen of this group recovered from upper Maastrichtian beds of central Chile. The plotting of such indices groups the Chilean material with other specimens from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina and Antarctica, the latter referred to the genus Aristonectes. This result allows us to identify the first relatively complete individual of the genus based on non-cranial characters. The identification of the Chilean specimen as Aristonectes sp. provides important new data on the postcranial skeleton of the genus, that has remained poorly known until now.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.