Pliosaur Research Articles

Giant Pliosaur (Reptilia; Sauropterygia) from the Late Jurassic of Kazakhstan and Some Remarks on the Systematics of Pliosauridae

The partially preserved specimen of a giant pliosaur from the Tithonian of Kazakhstan is described. It is the only Jurassic pliosaur currently known from the Central Asia. The diagnostic value of some vertebral characters in Pliosauridae systematics is discussed.

Considerations on aBrachauchenius skeleton (Pliosauroidea) from the lower Paja Formation (late Barremian) of Villa de Leyva area (Colombia)

A nearly complete pliosaurid skeleton has been discovered in the Barremian deposits (Formación Paja) of Villa de Leyva in early 2004. The new find belongs to the genus Brachauchenius and consists of the cranium with a slightly damaged and partially concretionally covered occipital region and a neck with 13 cervical vertebrae. The trunk, both forelimbs and the left hindlimb are preserved. The posterior part of the pelvic girdle and the caudal vertebrae are lacking. The Colombian Brachauchenius represents the first re-occurrence of the non-rhomaleosaurid pliosaurs after a Berriasian-Hauterivian hiatus. Anfang 2004 wurde das nahezu vollständige Skelett eines Pliosauriers in den Ablagerungen des Barremium (Formación Paja) von Villa de Leyva entdeckt und freigelegt. Der Neufund ist der Gattung Brachauchenius zuzuordnen. Überliefert sind das Cranium mit leicht beschädigter und teilweise konkretionär überdeckter Occipitalregion und eine Halswirbelsäule bestehend aus 13 Wirbeln. Das Rumpfskelett, beide Vorderextremitäten sowie die linke Hinterextremität sind erhalten. Der hintere Abschnitt des Beckengürtels und der Schwanzbereich fehlen. Der kolumbianische Brachauchenius stellt das erste Wiedererscheinen der nicht-rhomaleosauriden Pliosaurier nach dem Berriasium-Hauterivium Hiatus dar. Un esqueleto de pliosaurio, casi completo, fué descubierto en depósitos barremianos (Formación Paja) de Villa de Leyva, a comienzos del año 2004. El nuevo hallazgo consiste de un cráneo que tiene la región occipital parcialmente dañada e incompletamente incluida en una concreción y el cuello representado por 13 vértebras cervicales. El tronco, ambos miembros anteriores y sólo un miembro posterior están preservados. La parte posterior de la aleta pélvica y las vértebras caudales no están preservadas. El nuevo especimen fósil se incluye en el género Brachauchenius. El Brachauchenius colombiano representa la primera reaparición de pliosaurios no rhomaleosaurid despues del intervalo Berriasiano-Hauteriviano. doi:10.1002/mmng.200410003

A CRETACEOUS PLESIOSAUR REMAIN (REPTILIA, SAUROPTERYGIA) FROM THE ARGILLE VARICOLORI OF VARZI (PAVIA, LOMBARDY, NORTHERN ITALY)

The first finding of a plesiosaur remain in Italy is reported. The specimen, a single humerus has been collected in the Argille Varicolori formation, in an outcrop close to the village ol Zavattarello near Varzi (Pavia, Lombardy, Northern Italy). Micropaleontological dating by analysis of calcareous nannofossils indicates a Santonian-Campanian age for the sediment enclosing the fossil. The morphology of the bone is described: available characters allow to consider the bone as belonging to a juvenile specimen and to ascribe it to the Plesiosauria with confidence, but the poor preservation prevents further reliable taxonomic assignment at lower ranks; some clues however suggest that it may belong to the Pliosauroidea.