Abstract
Abstract. The ichthyosaur fossil record of Portugal is composed of specimens from the localities of São Pedro de Moel, Alhadas, Cadima, Murtede, Casal do Combo, Condeixa, Alvaiázere and Tomar, within the confines of the Lusitanian Basin, ranging in age from the Sinemurian to the Aalenian. We reviewed the historical ichthyosaur finds in Portugal, and in this work we focus on the specimen IST-MDT 85, from the Sinemurian of Praia de Nossa Senhora da Vitória, central west coast of Portugal. The specimen was herein ascribed to Ichthyosaurus cf. communis, based on characters of the humerus in comparison with other specimens. This is the southernmost documented occurrence of Ichthyosaurus, widening the geographical range of the genus.
Highlights
1.1 Institutional abbreviationsMG, Museu Geológico de Lisboa, Portugal
As of the latest research, the genus is comprised of the species I. communis, I. breviceps, I. conybeari, I. anningae, I. larkini, and I. somersetensis (Lomax and Massare, 2017)
The specimen is placed into a polytomy, alongside I. communis and I. anningae and a subgroup of I. breviceps, I. somersetensis and I. larkini as determined by the humerus being of approximately equal width anteroposteriorly (Char. 206: 0 → 1) and the presence of digital bifurcation (Char. 252: 0 → 1)
Summary
Ichthyosaurs are a group of Mesozoic reptiles, who stand out due to their extreme readaptation to a marine environment, being strictly marine organisms, incapable of venturing on land. As of the latest research, the genus is comprised of the species I. communis, I. breviceps, I. conybeari, I. anningae, I. larkini, and I. somersetensis (Lomax and Massare, 2017)
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