Acostasaurus
Acostasaurus | |
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Cranial reconstruction of Acostasaurus pavachoquensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
Order: | †Plesiosauria |
Family: | †Pliosauridae |
Genus: | †Acostasaurus |
Species: | †A. pavachoquensis
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Binomial name | |
†Acostasaurus pavachoquensis Gómez Pérez & Noè, 2017
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Acostasaurus (meaning "Acosta's lizard") is an extinct genus of possibly
Description
The type specimen is noted for possessing several features that pertain to a sub adult individual: for example, the sagittal crest is not fully ossified, as well as possessing undeveloped palatine wings. It is possible however that Acostasaurus, like other
From what is preserved, the orbits are large, rounded and deeply notched dorsally. The sclerotic ring of the specimen is also very large, suggesting that Acostasaurus was adapted to see in deep or murky waters.
An unusual feature of Acostasaurus is that it possesses a short mandibular symphysis, containing only 6 pairs of functional alveoli (5 and ½, considering that the symphysis terminates level with the middle of the sixth pair). The short, wide symphysis is one of the features which differentiates Acostasaurus from other contemporary pliosaurids such as the various
Classification
As brachauchenine pliosaurs are the only pliosaurids known from the Barremian stage, especially from Colombia, Gómez Pérez et al. compared Acostasaurus to a variety of brachauchenine taxa in the paper. The authors however concluded that referral of the genus to the subfamily is problematic: Acostasaurus possesses
References
- ^ .
- ^ Cortés, Dirley; Larsson, Hans C.; Parra, Juan De Dios (2022). "The Early Cretaceous Paja Formation biota in Colombia reveals an exuberant predator fossil record and a complex ecological network". 82nd Annual Meeting - SVP 2022 Program Guide (PDF). Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. p. 136.
- ^ Araujo, Ricardo. (2015). New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs. Geologie en Mijnbouw. FirstView. 10.1017/njg.2014.43.
- ^ Noè, L. F. (2001). A taxonomic and functional study of the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) Pliosauroidea (Reptilia, Sauropterygia). Chicago