Leptocleidus

Leptocleidus

Taxobox
name = "Leptocleidus"
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous



image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Leptocleidus capensis"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Sauropterygia
unranked = Eusauropterygia
ordo = Plesiosauria
familia = Leptocleididae
genus = "Leptocleidus"
genus_authority = Andrews, 1922
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*" L. capensis " Cruikshank, 1997
*" L. clemai " Cruikshank and Long, 1997
*" L. superstes " (type) Andrews, 1922
synonyms =
*"Peyerus"

"Leptocleidus" is an extinct genus of pliosaur, belonging to the family Leptocleididae Smith AS, Dyke GJ. 2008. The skull of the giant predatory pliosaur "Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni": implications for plesiosaur phylogenetics. "Naturwissenschaften" e-published 2008.] . It is the only known pliosaur to be found in sediments on the Isle of Wight.

Etymology

In short, the term "Leptocleidus" means "slender clavicle". It comes from a merge of the Greek words "λ ε π τ ο σ", meaning "slender" and "κ λ ε ι δ" (also spelled "κ λ ε ι σ") meaning clavicle.

Description

With large clavicles and interclavicle and small scapulae, "Leptocleidus" resembled the Early Jurassic "Rhomaleosaurus" and members of the Cretaceous family, Polycotylidae. The animal had 21 teeth on either side of its maxilla and approximately 35 teeth on each side of the mandible. The Leptocleidus' triangle-shaped skull had a crest running from a ridge on the end of the nose to the nasal region. Differing from other pliosaurids, "Leptocleidus" had single-headed cervical ribs and a deep depression in the centra of the neck vertebrae. "Leptocleidus" was on an average of 3 meters (10 feet) long. "Leptocleidus superstes" however, was found to be almost 50% smaller (1.5m, 5ft) making it the smallest known species.

Distribution and habitat

"Leptocleidus", unlike many pleisiosaurs, lived in shallow lagoons and likely visited brackish and fresh water systems (such as the mouths of large rivers). This led Cruikshank to infer that this movement to fresh water was an attempt to flee larger plesiosaurs and pliosaurs. Most species are known from The British Isles but " L. capensis " was discovered in Cape Province, South Africa.

"Leptocleidus" is known from the following sediments:
*Upper Weald Clay, Sussex, England.
*Sundays River Formation, Cape Province, South Africa Cruikshank, A. R. I. 1997. A lower Cretaceous Pliosauroid from South Africa. "Annals of the South African Museum" 105: 206-226.]
*Vectis formation, Isle of Wight

References

Further reading

*O'Keefe, F. R. 2001. A Cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision of the Plesiosauria (Reptilia: Sauropterygia). "Acta Zoologica Fennica" 213: 1-63.

External links

*http://www.geocities.com/dinowight/leptocleidus.html
*http://www.plesiosauria.com/leptocleidus.html
*http://www.palaeos.com/Vertebrates/Units/220Lepidosauromorpha/220.520.html#Leptocleidus
*http://www.plesiosaur.com/database/genusIndividual.php?i=73


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Leptocleidus —   Leptocleidus Rango temporal: Cretácico superior …   Wikipedia Español

  • Leptocleidus — …   Википедия

  • Лептоклейд — ? † Лептоклейд …   Википедия

  • Liste de plésiosaures — Cette liste de plésiosaures est une liste complète des différents genres classés dans l ordre des plesiosauria, en excluant les termes vernaculaires. Cette liste inclut tous les genres reconnus et acceptés, mais aussi les genres aujourd hui… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des plésiosaures — Liste de plésiosaures Cette liste de plésiosaures est une liste compréhensive des différents genres qui ont été classé dans l ordre des plesiosauria, en excluant les termes vernaculaires. Cette liste inclut tous les genres reconnus et acceptés,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • List of plesiosaurs — This list of plesiosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Plesiosauria, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered… …   Wikipedia

  • Elasmosaurus — Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 80.5 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • Pliosaur — Taxobox name = Pliosaurs image caption = Peloneustes philarchus fossil range = Late Triassic Late Cretaceous regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Sauropsida superordo = Sauropterygia ordo = Plesiosauria subordo = Pliosauroidea subordo… …   Wikipedia

  • Plesiosauria — Temporal range: Early Jurassic Late Cretaceous, 199.6–65.5 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • Liopleurodon — Temporal range: Middle–Late Jurassic, 162–150 Ma …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”