Lagenanectes

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lagenanectes
Temporal range: Hauterivian–Barremian
Lagenanectes richterae, skull reconstruction in right lateral view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Elasmosauridae
Genus: †Lagenanectes
Species:
†L. richterae
Binomial name
†Lagenanectes richterae
Sachs, Hornung & Kear, 2017

Lagenanectes is a

elasmosaurids. The holotype is an incomplete skeleton, comprising large parts of the skull, some neck and tail vertebrae as well as ribs and part of the limbs. A length of about 8 meters (26 feet) has been estimated.[1]

Discovery and naming

Skeletal diagram

The well-preserved

monotypic genus.[4]

The name Lagenanectes literally means "Leine swimmer" and refers to both, the

Lower Saxony State Museum in Hannover, for her contributions to the palaeontological exploration of Lower Saxony
.

Description

The holotype of Lagenanectes richterae was a fully grown individual. This is indicated by the ossification of both the cranial bones and the vertebrae and neural arches.[1]

The front part of the lower jaw of Lagenanectes richterae shows some anatomical features which are unique in plesiosaurs (autapomorphies): The alveols are placed sidewards and a platform is present on the underside of the lower jaw that bears prominent dents. The skull of Lagenanectes shows a rounded snout that is accompanied by some grooves on the upper side. These grooves may have accommodated

electroreceptors to locate the prey. The neck vertebrae of Lagenanectes are square-shaped and lack a notch on the lower side of the articular surfaces of the vertebral centra, which is characteristic for other elasmosaurs.[5]

Classification

cladistic analysis, Lagenanectes was most closely related to the "Speeton Clay plesiosaur" (a yet undescribed plesiosaur from the Hauterivian of England) and to Callawayasaurus from the Aptian of Colombia.[1]

Pathologies

The occiput and the first neck vertebra of the holotype of Lagenanectes richterae show pathological alterations of the bony structure. They may have been caused by an infection.[1][6]

Gallery

  • Skull of Lagenanectes seen from above
    Skull of Lagenanectes seen from above
  • Lower jaw of Lagenanectes richterae in side view
    Lower jaw of Lagenanectes richterae in side view
  • Tooth of Lagenanectes richterae
    Tooth of Lagenanectes richterae
  • Neck vertebra of Lagenanectes richterae in side view
    Neck vertebra of Lagenanectes richterae in side view

References

  1. ^
    S2CID 134707537
    .
  2. ^ a b Erika Finzel (1964). "Plesiosaurusfund in der Unterkreide". Der Aufschluss. 11: 301.
  3. ^ "Neue Saurierart im Landesmuseum entdeckt". haz.de. Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  4. ^ "Meet Lagenanectes richterae, One of Oldest Known Elasmosaurs | Paleontology | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  5. ^ S. Sachs; B. P. Kear (2015). "Fossil Focus: Elasmosaurs". Palaeontology Online. 5: 1–8.
  6. ^ Sven Sachs; Jahn J. Hornung; Peter Wohlsein; Benjamin P. Kear (2015). "A new basal elasmosaurid skeleton with joint pathologies from the Lower Cretaceous of Germany". 13th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Opole, Poland, 8–12 July 2015. Abstracts: 131.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lagenanectes&oldid=1224909101"