PBDB Taxon

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Nothosaurus

Reptilia - Eosauropterygia - Nothosauridae

Taxonomy

Nothosaurus was named by Münster (1834) [Sepkoski's age data: Tr Anis-m Tr Carn-u Sepkoski's reference number: 2,1044].

It was assigned to Nexipodes by Meyer (1845); to Ichthyosauridae by d'Orbigny (1849); to Sauropterygia by Owen (1859) and Owen (1860); to Sauropterygia by Owen (1861) and Leidy (1873); to Plesiosauridae by Cope (1871), Cope (1875) and Hay (1902); to Nothosaurinae by Nopsca (1928) and Rieppel and Wild (1996); to Notosauria by Sepkoski (2002); and to Nothosauridae by Lydekker (1889), Young (1965), Kuhn (1971), Sues (1987), Carroll (1988), Rieppel (1994), Rieppel (1995), Rieppel et al. (1997), Rieppel (2000), Rieppel (2001), Albers and Rieppel (2003), Jiang et al. (2006), Chrzastek (2008), Klein and Albers (2009), Liu et al. (2014) and Hinz et al. (2019).

Species lacking formal opinion data

N. marchius

Synonyms

Shingyisaurus unexpectus was named by Young (1965). Its type specimen is IVPP V.2800, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Langmu, Tachai village, Tingshao of Shingyi Hsien, which is in a Longobardian marine shale in the Falang Formation of China. It is the type species of Shingyisaurus.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel (1998).
Dracosaurus was named by Munster (1834).

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Lydekker (1889) and Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Plesiosaurus speciosus was named by Munster (1834).

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus mirabilis by Lydekker (1889); it was considered a nomen nudum by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Nothosaurus venustus was named by Munster (1834). Its type specimen is LOST specimen, a partial skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Esperstädt, which is in an Anisian marine horizon in the Jena Formation of Germany.

It was synonymized subjectively with Conchiosaurus clavatus by Lydekker (1889); it was considered a nomen dubium by Meyer (1847); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Kolposaurus was named by Skuphos (1893).

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Simosaurus mougeoti was named by Meyer (1847). Its type specimen is LOST specimen, a mandible (partial mandible), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Blainville, Lunéville, which is in a Ladinian marine limestone in France.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel (1994) and Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Opeosaurus was named by Meyer (1847).

It was synonymized subjectively with Simosaurus by Kuhn (1934); it was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Rieppel (1994).

It was assigned to Simosauridae by Kuhn (1971).
Nothosaurus hecki was named by Fritsch (1894). Its type specimen is Ha no. 12/41 and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Halle/Saale, which is in an Anisian marine horizon in Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Kolposaurus dichthadius was named by Skuphos (1893). Its type specimen is MGU Wr 3934s, a partial skeleton (fragmentary remains), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Gogoliner Schichten, Muschelkalk, Chorzow, which is in an Anisian marginal marine mixed carbonate-siliciclastic in the Wellenkalk Formation of Poland.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Elmosaurus lelmensis was named by Huene (1957). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Lelm, near Braunschweig, which is in a Ladinian marine horizon in Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Metriorhynchus priscus was named by Münster (1834).

It was considered a nomen nudum by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Elmosaurus was named by Huene (1957) [Sepkoski's age data: Tr m]. It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Rieppel and Wild (1996).

It was assigned to Simosaurinae by Young (1965); to Pachypleurosauridae by Kuhn (1971); and to Notosauria by Sepkoski (2002).
Paranothosaurus was named by Peyer (1939) [Sepkoski's age data: Tr Ladi-l Sepkoski's reference number: 1044]. It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Rieppel (1994), Rieppel and Wild (1996) and Rieppel (1998).

It was assigned to Nothosauridae by Young (1965), Kuhn (1971), Sues (1987) and Carroll (1988); and to Notosauria by Sepkoski (2002).
Shingyisaurus was named by Young (1965) [Sepkoski's age data: Tr m]. Its type is Shingyisaurus unexpectus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Nothosaurus by Rieppel (1998).

It was assigned to Simosaurinae by Young (1965); and to Notosauria by Sepkoski (2002).
Nothosaurus schimperi was named by Meyer (1834). Its type specimen is . and is a 3D body fossil.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).
Conchiosaurus clavatus was named by Meyer (1833). Its type specimen is BSP AS I 1446, a partial skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Esperstädt, which is in an Anisian marine horizon in the Jena Formation of Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Rieppel and Wild (1996).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1833	Conchiosaurus clavatus Meyer
1834	Nothosaurus schimperi Meyer
1834	Nothosaurus venustus Munster p. 525
1834	Plesiosaurus speciosus Munster p. 525
1834	Dracosaurus Munster p. 526
1834	Metriorhynchus priscus Münster
1834	Nothosaurus Münster
1845	Nothosaurus Meyer p. 281
1847	Simosaurus mougeoti Meyer
1847	Opeosaurus Meyer p. 82 figs. Plate 14, figs 7-9
1849	Nothosaurus d'Orbigny p. 211
1859	Nothosaurus Owen p. 143
1859	Conchiosaurus clavatus Owen p. 144
1860	Nothosaurus Owen p. 210
1860	Conchiosaurus clavatus Owen p. 214
1860	Nothosaurus schimperi Owen p. 214
1860	Nothosaurus venustus Owen p. 214
1861	Nothosaurus Owen p. 229
1861	Nothosaurus schimperi Owen p. 233
1861	Conchiosaurus clavatus Owen p. 234
1869	Nothosaurus venustus Seeley p. 134
1869	Conchiosaurus clavatus Seeley p. 135
1871	Nothosaurus Cope p. 235
1873	Nothosaurus Leidy p. 345
1875	Nothosaurus Cope p. 15
1889	Nothosaurus Lydekker p. 288
1893	Kolposaurus Skuphos p. 14
1893	Kolposaurus dichthadius Skuphos p. 14
1894	Nothosaurus hecki Fritsch
1902	Nothosaurus Hay p. 457
1928	Nothosaurus Nopsca p. 44
1939	Paranothosaurus Peyer
1957	Elmosaurus Huene
1957	Elmosaurus lelmensis Huene
1965	Shingyisaurus unexpectus Young p. 316 figs. Pl. 4-5
1965	Shingyisaurus Young p. 318
1965	Shingyisaurus unexpectus Young p. 341 figs. Plates 4-5
1965	Elmosaurus Young p. 354
1965	Nothosaurus Young p. 355
1965	Paranothosaurus Young p. 355
1971	Elmosaurus Kuhn p. 17
1971	Elmosaurus lelmensis Kuhn p. 17
1971	Nothosaurus Kuhn p. 18
1971	Nothosaurus hecki Kuhn p. 18
1971	Nothosaurus schimperi Kuhn p. 18
1971	Nothosaurus venustus Kuhn p. 18
1971	Paranothosaurus Kuhn p. 18
1971	Conchiosaurus clavatus Kuhn p. 19
1971	Opeosaurus Kuhn p. 19
1971	Simosaurus mougeoti Kuhn p. 19
1987	Nothosaurus Sues p. 187
1987	Paranothosaurus Sues p. 187
1988	Nothosaurus Carroll
1988	Paranothosaurus Carroll
1994	Nothosaurus Rieppel p. 10 fig. 1
1995	Nothosaurus Rieppel p. 734
1996	Nothosaurus Rieppel and Wild p. 3
1997	Nothosaurus Rieppel et al.
2000	Nothosaurus Rieppel
2001	Nothosaurus Rieppel
2002	Elmosaurus Sepkoski
2002	Nothosaurus Sepkoski
2002	Paranothosaurus Sepkoski
2002	Shingyisaurus Sepkoski
2003	Nothosaurus Albers and Rieppel p. 738 figs. 1-4
2006	Nothosaurus Jiang et al.
2008	Nothosaurus Chrzastek p. 232
2009	Nothosaurus Klein and Albers
2014	Nothosaurus Liu et al.
2019	Nothosaurus Hinz et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha

Rank	Name	Author
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
suborder	Sauropterygia
order	Eosauropterygia
family	Nothosauridae	Baur 1889
genus	Nothosaurus	Münster 1834

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Nothosaurus Münster 1834

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†Nothosaurus cristatus Hinz et al. 2019

†Nothosaurus cymatosauroides Sanz 1983

†Nothosaurus edingerae Schultze 1970

†Nothosaurus giganteus Münster 1834

Invalid names: Nothosaurus aduncidens Meyer 1855 [synonym], Nothosaurus andriani Meyer 1839 [synonym], Nothosaurus angustifrons Meyer and Plieninger 1844 [synonym], Nothosaurus baruthicus Geissler 1895 [synonym], Nothosaurus chelydrops Fraas 1896 [synonym], Opeosaurus suevicus Meyer 1847 [synonym], Paranothosaurus amsleri Peyer 1939 [synonym]

†Nothosaurus haasi Rieppel et al. 1997

†Nothosaurus jagisteus Rieppel 2001

†Nothosaurus marchicus Koken 1893

Invalid names: Nothosaurus crassus Schröder 1914 [synonym], Nothosaurus oldenburgi Schröder 1914 [synonym], Nothosaurus procerus Schröder 1914 [synonym], Nothosaurus raabi Schröder 1914 [synonym], Nothosaurus schroederi Huene 1944 [synonym], Nothosaurus winterswijkensis Albers and Rieppel 2003 [synonym]

†Nothosaurus mirabilis Münster 1834

Invalid names: Dracosaurus bronni Auct 1834 [synonym], Nothosaurus bergeri Meyer 1834 [synonym], Nothosaurus muensteri Meyer 1847 [synonym]

†Nothosaurus occiduus Leidy 1870

†Nothosaurus rostellatus Shang 2006

Invalid names: Nothosaurus rostellatus Shang 2006 [objective synonym]

†Nothosaurus tchernowi Haas 1980

†Nothosaurus yangjuanensis Jiang et al. 2006

†Nothosaurus zhangi Liu et al. 2014

Invalid names: Conchiosaurus clavatus Meyer 1833 [nomen dubium], Dracosaurus Munster 1834 [synonym], Elmosaurus Huene 1957 [synonym], Elmosaurus lelmensis Huene 1957 [nomen dubium], Kolposaurus Skuphos 1893 [synonym], Kolposaurus dichthadius Skuphos 1893 [nomen dubium], Metriorhynchus priscus Münster 1834 [nomen nudum], Nothosaurus hecki Fritsch 1894 [nomen dubium], Nothosaurus schimperi Meyer 1834 [nomen dubium], Nothosaurus unexpectus Young 1965 [nomen dubium], Nothosaurus venustus Munster 1834 [nomen dubium], Opeosaurus Meyer 1847 [synonym], Paranothosaurus Peyer 1939 [synonym], Plesiosaurus speciosus Munster 1834 [nomen nudum], Shingyisaurus Young 1965 [synonym], Simosaurus mougeoti Meyer 1847 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
O. Rieppel 1995	"Medium-sized to large eusauropterygians with a longirostrine skull, constricted snout, large and elongated upper temporal fossae, posteriorly displaced pineal foramen, paired fangs in the maxilla, enlarged fangs in the posterior symphyseal area of the lower jaw, lower jaw symphysis distinctly elongated and distinctly set off from lower jaw ramus, vertebrae platycoelous and non-notochordal with short and stout transverse processes."
O. Rieppel and R. Wild 1996	Small to large eusauropterygians of the family Nothosauridae; maxillary tooth row extending well beyond level of anterior margin of upper temporal fenestra; paired maxillary fangs followed by a palisade of densely set, distinctly smaller, conical teeth; longitudinal diameter of the upper temporal fenestra between two and four times the longitudinal diameter of the orbit; never more than three ossifications in carpus or tarsus of adult.