Baisesaurus

Baisesaurus (meaning "Baise lizard") is an extinct genus of ichthyosauromorph from the early Triassic (Spathian) Luolou Formation of Guangxi, China. The genus contains a single species, B. robustus, known from a partial postcranial skeleton.[1]

Baisesaurus
Temporal range: Early Triassic,
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: †Ichthyosauromorpha
Genus: †Baisesaurus
Ren et al., 2022
Species:
†B. robustus
Binomial name
†Baisesaurus robustus
Ren et al., 2022

Discovery and naming

The Baisesaurus holotype specimen, CUGW VH107, was discovered in 2018 in a layer of the Luolou Formation in the Nanpanjiang Basin of Zhebao Township, Longlin County, Baise, Guangxi region, China. The specimen consists of assorted ribs, gastralia, a limb element (likely a radius), 12 vertebral centra, and seven neural arches.

In 2022, Ren et al. described Baisesaurus robustus, a new genus and species of basal ichthyosauromorph. The generic name, "Baisesaurus", combines a reference to the type locality in Baise, China, with the Greek "saurus", meaning "lizard". The specific name, "robustus", means "robust".[1]

Description

Baisesaurus was likely at least 3 m (9.8 ft) long. It was more similar to Utatsusaurus than to any other ichthyosauromorph, with similar size and anatomical traits. It can be inferred from related animals that Baisesaurus was a strong swimmer with long, compact forelimb bones.[1]

Classification

Baisesaurus likely represents a basal member of the clade Ichthyosauromorpha. The describing authors explain that it may represent a member of the Ichthyopterygia. However, such a classification is highly tentative.[1]

References
  1. Ren, Jicheng; Jiang, Haishui; Xiang, Kunpeng; Sullivan, Corwin; He, Yongzhong; Cheng, Long; Han, Fenglu (2022-04-07). "A new basal ichthyosauromorph from the Lower Triassic (Olenekian) of Zhebao, Guangxi Autonomous Region, South China". PeerJ. 10: e13209. doi:10.7717/peerj.13209. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 8995025. PMID 35415016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.