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Scalamagnus tropicensis

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Polycotylidae

Taxonomy
Dolichorhynchops tropicensis was named by Schmeisser McKean (2012). Its type specimen is MNA V10046, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Tropic Shale (MNA loc. 1627), which is in a Turonian marine shale in the Tropic Shale Formation of Utah.

It was recombined as Scalamagnus tropicensis by Clark et al. (2024).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2012Dolichorhynchops tropicensis Schmeisser McKean p. 185
2024Scalamagnus tropicensis Clark et al. p. 2

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
RankNameAuthor
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
suborderSauropterygia
orderPlesiosauriade Blainville 1835
superfamilyPlesiosauroideaWelles 1943
familyPolycotylidaeWilliston 1908
subfamilyPolycotylinae
genusScalamagnus
speciestropicensis()

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.

†Scalamagnus tropicensis Schmeisser McKean 2012
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
R. Schmeisser McKean 2012Relatively small polycotylid plesiosaur, flat anterior margin of parasphenoid, greater size range in teeth than other species of Dolichorhynchops, moderately constricted dorsal vertebral centra, chevron facets on anterior and posterior margins of caudal vertebrae, straight anterior margin and narrowed distal end of scapula, anterior processes of coracoids divergent without meeting at midline, lack of clavicular notch on coracoids, curved ilium, sacral end of ilium broad and laterally flattened, well-defined facets for epipodials on propodials.
R. O. Clark et al. 2024Small polycotyline plesiosaur possessing the following autapomorphies: orbit shape is an anteroposteriorly elongate oval, vestigial pineal foramen absent, anterior end of parasphenoid rectangular and without a cultriform process projecting into the anterior interpterygoid vacuity. Also exhibits the following unique combination of traits: temporal fenestra longer than that of derived polycotylines (temporal fenestra length to cranial length ratio 0.18), anterior to middle cervical vertebrae centra approximately as long as high, dorsal vertebrae centra moderately constricted, caudal vertebrae chevron facets located equally on anterior and posterior edges of centra, scapula blade with approximately straight anterior margin in lateral view, scapula with narrow distal end, coracoid with anterolaterally inflected anterior process, coracoid clavicular notch absent, pelvic fenestra circular.