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Pliosaurus kevani
Taxonomy
Pliosaurus kevani was named by Benson et al. (2013) [urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:39B2679D-B3FD-4DBA-B5F1-196294DB03D0]. Its type specimen is DORCM G.13,675, a skull, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Osmington Bay, which is in a Kimmeridgian marine horizon in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Pliosaurus kevani Benson et al. figs. 1-22 |
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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.
†Pliosaurus kevani Benson et al. 2013
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| R. B. J. Benson et al. 2013 | Species of Pliosaurus with four autapomorphies, which are absent in all other species of Pliosaurus: (1) subrectangular sheet of the maxilla extends anteriorly on alveolar surface of the premaxilla to contact the distalmost premaxillary alveolus — in other species of Pliosaurus an interdigitating premaxilla-maxilla suture is located mid-way between the mesialmost maxillary and distalmost premaxillary alveoli; (2) pineal foramen surrounded by a raised rim — in other thalassophonean pliosaurids, including other species of Pliosaurus, a shallow fossa containing anteroposteriorly oriented grooves/ridges extends anteriorly from the pineal foramen; (3) mesial postsymphysial dentary alveoli everted to face dorsolaterally — in other species the dentary alveoli all face dorsally; (4) lateral surface of the mandible dorsoventrally concave posteriorly — in other thalassophonean pliosaurids the lateral surface of the postedentary bones is flat or weakly convex. P. kevani also possesses the following unique character combination: high dentary alveolar count including 22 postsymphysial alveoli (>28 total) and an estimated total count of 36–37; high count of symphysial dentary alveoli (>6), estimated as 14–15; teeth subtrihedral, possessing a suboval cross-section with only a slightly flattened labial surface bearing only sparse enamel ridges; pronounced mediolateral expansion of caniniform regions of the premaxilla and maxilla; six closely-spaced premaxillary alveoli; distalmost premaxillary alveolus reduced compared to more mesial alveoli (i.e. anisodont [=’heterodont’] premaxillary dentition); premaxilla–parietal suture located level with the anterior region of the orbit. Because only the skull of P. kevani is known, the condition of postcranial characters that vary among other species of Pliosaurus cannot be determined. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: superf = superfamily, o = order | |||||
| References: Kiessling 2004, Hampe 2005 | |||||
Age range: Early/Lower Kimmeridgian or 155.70000 to 150.80000 Ma
Collections (3 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early/Lower Kimmeridgian | United Kingdom (England) | Pliosaurus kevani (119508 type locality: 145134) Stretosaurus macromerus (114894) |