Taxonomy of Platypterygius campylodon and the diversity of the last ichthyosaurs

High Diversity in Cretaceous Ichthyosaurs from Europe Prior to Their Extinction

BACKGROUND Ichthyosaurs are reptiles that inhabited the marine realm during most of the Mesozoic. Their Cretaceous representatives have traditionally been considered as the last survivors of a group declining since the Jurassic. Recently, however, an unexpected diversity has been described in Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous deposits, but is widely spread across time and space, giving small clue...

The Australian Cretaceous ichthyosaur Platypterygius australis: understanding its taxonomy, morphology, and palaeobiology

Extinction of fish-shaped marine reptiles associated with reduced evolutionary rates and global environmental volatility

Despite their profound adaptations to the aquatic realm and their apparent success throughout the Triassic and the Jurassic, ichthyosaurs became extinct roughly 30 million years before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Current hypotheses for this early demise involve relatively minor biotic events, but are at odds with recent understanding of the ichthyosaur fossil record. Here, we show that ...

Some notes on taxonomy and diversity of Onosma with emphasis on important evidence and complex groups in Flora Iranica

Onosma L. as a rich taxa in Boraginaceae including about 150–180 species, centered mainly in Irano-Turanian region. The genus faced with several systematic complexities lead to many identification problems as well as morphological polymorphism. Several authors have used setae characteristics in Onosma as the most important diagnostic evidence in delimitation and classification of species in add...

Short-Snouted Toothless Ichthyosaur from China Suggests Late Triassic Diversification of Suction Feeding Ichthyosaurs

BACKGROUND Ichthyosaurs were an important group of Mesozoic marine reptiles and existed from the Early Triassic to the early Late Cretaceous. Despite a great diversity in body shapes and feeding adaptations, all share greatly enlarged eyes, an elongated rostrum with numerous conical teeth, and a streamlined body. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Based on new material from China and the restudy ...