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Pliosaurus westburyensis
Taxonomy
Pliosaurus westburyensis was named by Benson et al. (2013) [urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DF34CD25-6F48-4C08-ACFF-D617FA81F5C6]. Its type specimen is BRSMG Cc332, a partial skeleton (, a skull and postcranial fragments), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Westbury claypit (Lafarge cement works) E5, which is in a Kimmeridgian marine claystone in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Pliosaurus westburyensis Benson et al. |
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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 westburyensis Benson et al. 2013
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| R. B. J. Benson et al. 2013 | Species of Pliosaurus with three autapomorphies: (1) premaxillary alveoli widely spaced, with interalveolar walls approximately half the anteroposterior length of a single alveolus; (2) a long, sheet-like process of the maxilla extends posteromedial to the anterolateral part of the maxilla–frontal contact medial to the external naris. This process of the maxilla terminates just anterior to orbital midlength ([65]:fig. A1); (3) premaxilla–parietal suture located around orbital midlength. P. westburyensis also possesses the following unique character combination: low dentary alveolar count including only 18 postsymphysial alveoli (the symphysis is missing so a full count is not possible); teeth fully trihedral, possessing a flat, anteroposteriorly broad labial surface lacking enamel ridges; mediolateral expansion of premaxilla and maxillary caniniform region relatively slight; six premaxillary alveoli; distalmost premaxillary alveolus similar in size to more mesial alveoli (i.e. lacks anisodont premaxillary dentition); space between maxillary and premaxillary alveolar rows comparable to other interalveolar spaces (i.e. diastema absent); cervical centra lacking ventral ridge |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: superf = superfamily, o = order | |||||
| References: Kiessling 2004, Hampe 2005 | |||||
Age range: Late/Upper Kimmeridgian or 155.70000 to 150.80000 Ma
Collections: one only
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late/Upper Kimmeridgian | United Kingdom (England) | Pliosaurus brachyspondylus (type locality: 100263) |