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Gigantophis garstini

Osteichthyes - Madtsoiidae

Taxonomy
Gigantophis garstini was named by Andrews (1901). Its type specimen is CGM C.10022, a set of vertebrae (20 trunk vertebrae), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Beadnell Section, which is in a Priabonian coastal sandstone in the Qasr el-Sagha Formation of Egypt.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1901Gigantophis garstini Andrews
1906Gigantophis garstini Andrews p. 307
1934Gigantophis garstini Swinton p. 17
1984Gigantophis garstini Rage p. 30
2013Gigantophis garstini Vasile et al.
2016Gigantophis garstini McCartney and Seiffert p. 2
2017Gigantophis garstini Rio and Mannion

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
—Squamata()
suborderOphidia(Latreille 1804)
—Serpentes(Linnaeus 1758)
familyMadtsoiidae()
genusGigantophisAndrews 1901
speciesgarstini

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.

†Gigantophis garstini Andrews 1901
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. A. McCartney and E. R. Seiffert 2016Vertebrae giant, neural spine thick and taller than anteroposterior length in mid-trunk, not reaching the zygosphene anteriorly, hemal keel distinct and narrow. Distin- guished from all other madtsoiids on the basis of its size. It can be further differentiated from other large madtsoiids by the fol- lowing characters. Differs from Madtsoia spp. and Menarana spp. in having a narrower, distinct hemal keel, and from Rione- grophis madtsoioides in having a thicker hemal keel. Vertebrae differentiated from Wonambi spp. and Yurlunggur in having a single parazygantral foramen, and from Sanajeh indicus in hav- ing a larger parazygantral foramen. Differs from Madtsoia spp., Menarana spp., R. madtsoioides, S. indicus, and Wonambi spp. in having a neural spine that does not extend anteriorly onto the zygosphene, and from Menarana spp. in having a taller neural spine. In addition to the great difference in size, Gigantophis gar- stini may be differentiated from smaller madtsoiids by the fol- lowing characters. Differs from Adinophis fisaka in having relatively smaller synapophyses and zygapophyseal facets, and from A. fisaka and Alamitophis in having poorly defined subcen- tral ridges. Differs from Herensugea caristiorum in being less dorsoventrally compressed, and in having a distinct, narrow hemal keel. Differs from both Alamitophis and H. caristiorum in having a dorsoventrally taller zygosphene. Differs from H. caris- tiorum, Nidophis insularis and Patagoniophis spp. in having a taller and thicker neural spine. Differs from Nanowana godthelpi in having a neural spine that is taller than anteroposteriorly long, and that does not extend onto the zygosphene.