Thililua

Taxobox
name= "Thililua"
fossil range= Late Cretaceous

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image_width=250px
image_caption = "Thililua longicollis"
regnum= Animalia
phylum= Chordata
classis= Sauropsida
superordo= Sauropterygia
ordo= Plesiosauria
subordo= Plesiosauroidea
familia= Polycotylidae
genus= "Thililua"
species= "T. longicollis"
binomial= "Thililua longicollis"

"Thililua" is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur, containing one species, "T. longicollis". The name "Thililua" is derived from that of an ancient aquatic god from local Berber mythology; "longicollis" refers to the animal's long neck. "Thililua" has been found in Late Cretaceous ( early Turonian) rocks in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco in north Africa. "Thililua" is the first Polycotylid plesiosaur discovered in Africa, and also the first discovered that lived at a subtropical latitude.

Anatomy

The type specimen of "T. longicollis", which was described in 2003, consists of an almost complete skull and lower jaw, articulated with 37 vertebrae. Of these vertebrae, 30 were cervical (neck) vertebrae, which is an unusually high number compared to other Polycotylids, such as "Dolichorhynchops", which had only 19 neck vertebrae, and "Polycotylus", which had 26. It is believed to be an adult specimen, since some of the cranial sutures are very difficult to distinguish. Using comparisons with the head and neck length to body length ratio of a related genus, "Dolichorhynchops", the estimated total length of "Thililua" was 5.5 to 6 metres.

References

Bardet, N., Suberbiola, X.P., Jalil, N.E., 2003. A new polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian) of Morocco. "Comptes Rendus Palevol" 2: 307-315.