Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany
The knowledge of Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic, ∼192.9–184.2 Ma) plesiosaurs is notoriously insufficient. Although there have been specimens described from different parts of the world, only three of them have been established as diagnosable taxa. Here, we describe two previously unreported lower Pl...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Sven Sachs Jahn J. Hornung Daniel Madzia |
| author_facet | Sven Sachs Jahn J. Hornung Daniel Madzia |
| author_sort | Sven Sachs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The knowledge of Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic, ∼192.9–184.2 Ma) plesiosaurs is notoriously insufficient. Although there have been specimens described from different parts of the world, only three of them have been established as diagnosable taxa. Here, we describe two previously unreported lower Pliensbachian plesiosaur occurrences that originate from two sites located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. One of the new occurrences is represented by three cervical and three indeterminable vertebrae from Werther, the other includes two associated pectoral or anterior dorsal vertebrae from Bielefeld. Although highly incomplete, the Werther individual, which derived from the Uptonia jamesoni Zone, is found to represent the only reliably identified early Pliensbachian pliosaurid known to date. Its material is geographically and stratigraphically proximate to the late Pliensbachian pliosaurid Arminisaurus schuberti, found in a clay-pit located in the Bielefeld district of Jöllenbeck. However, even though the Werther plesiosaur and A. schuberti show a broadly similar morphology of the preserved cervical section, a precise identification of the Werther taxon is currently impossible. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6ab392c5abdb43cf91dcfde958cdc9e2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6ab392c5abdb43cf91dcfde958cdc9e22024-11-28T15:05:15ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592024-11-0112e1840810.7717/peerj.18408Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern GermanySven Sachs0Jahn J. Hornung1Daniel Madzia2Abteilung Geowissenschaften, Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld, Bielefeld, GermanyNiedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover, Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Paleobiology, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, PolandThe knowledge of Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic, ∼192.9–184.2 Ma) plesiosaurs is notoriously insufficient. Although there have been specimens described from different parts of the world, only three of them have been established as diagnosable taxa. Here, we describe two previously unreported lower Pliensbachian plesiosaur occurrences that originate from two sites located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. One of the new occurrences is represented by three cervical and three indeterminable vertebrae from Werther, the other includes two associated pectoral or anterior dorsal vertebrae from Bielefeld. Although highly incomplete, the Werther individual, which derived from the Uptonia jamesoni Zone, is found to represent the only reliably identified early Pliensbachian pliosaurid known to date. Its material is geographically and stratigraphically proximate to the late Pliensbachian pliosaurid Arminisaurus schuberti, found in a clay-pit located in the Bielefeld district of Jöllenbeck. However, even though the Werther plesiosaur and A. schuberti show a broadly similar morphology of the preserved cervical section, a precise identification of the Werther taxon is currently impossible.https://peerj.com/articles/18408.pdfPliosauridaePlesiosauriaPliensbachianEarly JurassicEurope |
| spellingShingle | Sven Sachs Jahn J. Hornung Daniel Madzia Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany PeerJ Pliosauridae Plesiosauria Pliensbachian Early Jurassic Europe |
| title | Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany |
| title_full | Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany |
| title_fullStr | Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany |
| title_short | Early-diverging plesiosaurs from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of northwestern Germany |
| title_sort | early diverging plesiosaurs from the pliensbachian lower jurassic of northwestern germany |
| topic | Pliosauridae Plesiosauria Pliensbachian Early Jurassic Europe |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/18408.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT svensachs earlydivergingplesiosaursfromthepliensbachianlowerjurassicofnorthwesterngermany AT jahnjhornung earlydivergingplesiosaursfromthepliensbachianlowerjurassicofnorthwesterngermany AT danielmadzia earlydivergingplesiosaursfromthepliensbachianlowerjurassicofnorthwesterngermany |