| Basic info | Taxonomic history | Classification | Included Taxa |
| Morphology | Ecology and taphonomy | External Literature Search | Age range and collections |
Ectenosaurus tlemonectes
Taxonomy
Ectenosaurus tlemonectes was named by Kiernan and Ebersole (2023). Its type specimen is YPM VP4673, a partial skeleton (Mostly complete, disarticulated skull and mandibles, several cervical and dorsal vertebrae representing a medium-sized mosasaur), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Smoky Hill River (YPM VP4673), which is in a Coniacian/Campanian marine shale in the Niobrara Formation of Kansas.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Ectenosaurus tlemonectes Kiernan and Ebersole p. 5 figs. 2-10 |
Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data
|
|
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.
†Ectenosaurus tlemonectes Kiernan and Ebersole 2023
show all | hide all
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| C. R. Kiernan and J. A. Ebersole 2023 | A medium-sized plioplatecarpine mosasaur referable to the genus Ectenosaurus and exhibits the following unique combination of characteristics: a) very prominent median dorsal ride on frontal, extending back at least to interorbital embayment, wider posteriorly than anteriorly; b) olfactory canal long and tightly bracketed by broad, hour-glass shaped descending processes; c) frontal subtriangular with weakly developed, incipient interorbital embayments; d) suprastapedial process broadly fused with infrastapedial process, the latter partially overlapping the former; e) mandibular condyle deeply concave, saddle-shaped; f) medial face of squamosal rugose and highly vascularized; g) angular surface for contact with surangular posteriorly recurved; h) premaxilla dorsally planar, except for prominent median
keel; i) step-wise constriction present anteriorly on internarial bar; j) short edentulous rostrum on premaxilla; k) premaxillary-maxillary contact terminates between the third and fourth maxillary teeth, at the anteriorly deepest portion of the maxilla; l) teeth with smooth enamel at bases, overprint of striations and fluting higher on crown, carinate and fluted toward cusps. Characteristics a, c, e, g, h, i, j, k, and l distinguish the taxon from Ectenosaurus clidastoides and E. everhartorum, as well as from ALMNH:Paleo:5452, are considered apomorphic, and justify the erection of a new species. Feature b) distinguishes the taxon from LMNH:Paleo:5452, but it is unclear whether this characteristic is present in other members of the genus. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
|
||||
| Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Gervais 1852, Kiessling 2004, Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988 | |||||
Age range: base of the Late/Upper Coniacian to the top of the Early/Lower Campanian or 89.80000 to 72.20000 Ma
Collections: one only
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late/Upper Coniacian - Early/Lower Campanian | USA (Kansas) | Ectenosaurus tlemonectes (type locality: 232231) |