Abstract
A complex and confusing taxonomy has concealed the diversity dynamics of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs (Reptilia) for decades. The near totality of Albian-Cenomanian remains from Eurasia has been assigned, by default, to the loosely defined entity Platypterygius campylodon, whose holotype was supposed to be lost. By thoroughly examining the Cenomanian ichthyosaur collections from the UK, I redescribe the syntypic series of Platypterygius campylodon. This material, along with a handful of other coeval remains, is diagnostic and seemingly differs from the vast majority of Cretaceous remains previously assigned to this taxon. A lectotype for Platypterygius campylodon is designated and I reassign this species to Pervushovisaurus campylodon nov. comb. The feeding ecology of this species is assessed and conforms to the scenario of an early Cenomanian diversity drop prior to the latest Cenomanian final extinction.
Highlights
Ichthyosaurs are iconic reptiles of the Mesozoic marine ecosystems that disappeared quite abruptly at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous (Bardet, 1992; Fischer et al, 2016)
The diversity dynamics of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs cannot be approximated using currently valid genera; the taxonomy of each species needs to critically assessed in isolation and the use of the genus Platypterygius should be motivated with respect to the morphology of the type species
I briefly re-assess the morphology of the specimen used by Broili (1908) to erect the species Ichthyosaurus kokeni from the Hauterivian of Germany
Summary
Ichthyosaurs are iconic reptiles of the Mesozoic marine ecosystems that disappeared quite abruptly at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous (Bardet, 1992; Fischer et al, 2016). The type species of the genus, Platypterygius platydactylus, is phylogenetically isolated from other species currently referred to as Platypterygius (Fischer et al, 2016). The diversity dynamics of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs cannot be approximated using currently valid genera; the taxonomy of each species needs to critically assessed in isolation and the use of the genus Platypterygius should be motivated with respect to the morphology of the type species. Other genus-group names have been used for mid Cretaceous ichthyosaurs in the past but have since been discarded, notably Myopterygius Huene, 1922, Tenuirostria
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