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Pliosaurus almanzaensis

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Pliosauridae

Taxonomy
Pliosaurus almanzaensis was named by O’Gorman et al. (2018) [Species of Pliosaurus that differs from others by two autapomorphies: angular participating in mandibular symphysis and occipital condyle without notochordal pit or irregularly-arranged grooves. Following combination of characters differentiates P. almanzaensis from other species: (1) trihedral teeth (differs from P. kevani Benson et al., 2013), (2) nine or more symphyseal teeth (differs from P. rossicus Novozhilov, 1948 and P. patagonicus), and (3) 15–17 postsymphyseal alveoli and (4) parasphenoid without ventral keel (differs from P. kevani).]. Its type specimen is MOZ 3728P, a partial skeleton (Basicranium, complete palate, mandible and postcranial remains comprising a posterior cervical centrum, dorsal centra, humera and proximal elements of the forel), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Cajón de Almanza, which is in a Tithonian marine mudstone/marl in the Vaca Muerta Formation of Argentina.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2018Pliosaurus almanzaensis O’Gorman et al. pp. 242-243

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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
superfamilyPliosauroideaWelles 1943
familyPliosauridaeSeeley 1874
—Thalassophonea
genusPliosaurus()
speciesalmanzaensis

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 almanzaensis O’Gorman et al. 2018
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. P. O’Gorman et al. 2018Species of Pliosaurus that differs from others by two autapomorphies: angular participating in mandibular symphysis and occipital condyle without notochordal pit or irregularly-arranged grooves. Following combination of characters differentiates P. almanzaensis from other species: (1) trihedral teeth (differs from P. kevani Benson et al., 2013), (2) nine or more symphyseal teeth (differs from P. rossicus Novozhilov, 1948 and P. patagonicus), and (3) 15–17 postsymphyseal alveoli and (4) parasphenoid without ventral keel (differs from P. kevani).