Cymbospondylus

Cymbospondylus Fossil

• North America (Nevada )
• South America
• Spitsbergen
• Europe
• China

Cymbospondylus is a Ichthyosauriergattung that can be fossil evidence from the late Triassic to the end of the Middle Triassic. With a length of up to 10 meters were among the species of the larger ichthyosaurs of the Triassic.

Discovery history

Cymbospondylus was described in 1868 by Joseph Leidy. The first complete fossils were found but only at the beginning of the 20th century by Annie Alexander in the Middle Triassic strata in Nevada. From the same period fossils were excavated on Spitsbergen and in Europe later. From the Upper Triassic originate two skulls from Guizhou in China that have been described as asiaticus Cymbospondylus 2002. Previously provided to the Shastasauria, Cymbospondylus is now considered basal ichthyosaurs.

Features

Cymbospondylus had a slim, a length of six to ten meters reach body, the little skull was more than a meter long. His eye sockets are the smallest found relative to body size in an ichthyosaur, which means that he also had the relatively smallest eyes. The lower jaw was dentate only in the front. The tooth attachment was thecodont (ie, they sat in a Kieferhöhlung ( tooth socket ) ). A dorsal fin was missing or only low. First, it was assumed that Cymbospondylus in contrast to most other ichthyosaurs had no tail fin. Later, a small tail fin was detected by Jennifer Hogler. The fins of Cymbospondylus were short.