Ichthyosaurus was the first complete fossil to be discovered in the early 19th century by Mary Anning in England;[8] the holotype of I. communis, no coll. number given,[9] was a fairly complete specimen discovered by Mary and Joseph Anning around 1814 in Lyme Regis[10] but was reported as lost by McGowan (1974) in his review of the latipinnate ichthyosaurs of England.[11] The name Ichthyosaurus was first used by Charles König in 1818, but it was not used in a formal scientific description, with the earliest described ichthyosaur being Proteosaurus by James Everard Home in 1819 for a skeleton which is now attributed to Temnodontosaurus platyodon.Henry De la Beche and William Conybeare in 1821 considered Ichthyosaurus to have taxonomic priority over Proteosaurus and named the species I. communis based on BMNH 2149 (now NHMUK PV R1158), a now partially lost specimen now assigned to Temnodontosaurus that was discovered and collected between 1811 and 1812.[12][13] During the 19th century, almost all fossil ichthyosaurs were attributed to Ichthyosaurus, resulting in the genus having over 50 species by 1900. These species were subsequently moved to separate genera or synonymised with other species.[14]
Ichthyosaurus was smaller than most of its relatives, with the largest specimen of I. somersetensis measuring up to 3–3.3 m (9.8–10.8 ft) in length.[17] In comparison, other species were much smaller, with the I. communis reaching up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length, I. larkini probably up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), I. anningae up to 1.8 metres (5.9 ft), I. breviceps up to 1.9 metres (6.2 ft), and I. conybeari up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft).[1][9] Many Ichthyosaurus fossils are well-preserved and fully articulated. Some fossils still had baby specimens inside them, indicating that Ichthyosaurus was viviparous. Similar finds in the related Stenopterygius also show this.[18][19] Jurassic ichthyosaurs had a fleshy dorsal fin on their back as well as a large caudal fin. Icthyosaurus is distinguished from other ichthyosaurs by having a wide forefin with 5 or more digits with an anterior digital bifurcation, but the morphology of the humerus and coracoids are also distinct from that of other Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs, as is the arrangement of the dermal bones, though the suture lines used to diagnose these are not always visible.[14]
Classification
This cladogram below follows the topology from a 2010 analysis by Patrick S. Druckenmiller and Erin E. Maxwell.[20]
Restoration of I. communisSkeleton of I. breviceps
Ichthyosaurus ear bones were solid, probably transferring water vibrations to the inner ear. Even so, anatomical features demonstrate that it was a visually-oriented predator; it had huge, sensitive eyes, protected by bony shields. Coprolites of Ichthyosaurus reveal that its diet consisted of fish and squid.[22]
It was initially believed that Ichthyosaurus laid eggs on land, but fossil evidence shows that in fact the females gave birth to live young. As such, they were well-adapted to life as fully pelagic organisms (i.e. they never came onto land). The babies were born tail first to prevent them from drowning in the water.[18]
Cultural significance
German Wikisource has original text related to this article:
^ abcLomax, D.R. (2019). "A revision of Ichthyosaurus (Reptilia, Ichthyosauria)" (PDF). The University of Manchester: Manchester eScholar. pp. 1–414. S2CID 210305170.
^ abDean R. Lomax; Judy A. Massare (2017). "Two new species of Ichthyosaurus from the lowermost Jurassic (Hettangian) of Somerset, England". Papers in Palaeontology. 3: 1–20. doi:10.1002/spp2.1065. S2CID 89567182.
^Dean R. Lomax (2010). "An Ichthyosaurus (Reptilia, Ichthyosauria) with gastric contents from Charmouth, England: First report of the genus from the Pliensbachian". Paludicola. 8 (1): 22–36.
^Sousa, João; Mateus, Octávio (9 September 2021). "The southernmost occurrence of Ichthyosaurus from the Sinemurian of Portugal". Fossil Record. 24 (2): 287–294. doi:10.5194/fr-24-287-2021. ISSN 2193-0066. S2CID 239059696.
^Maisch MW, Matzke AT. 2000. The Ichthyosauria. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie)298: 1-159
^McGowan C, Motani R. 2003. Ichthyopterygia. – In: Sues, H.-D. (ed.): Handbook of Paleoherpetology, Part 8, Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 175 pp., 101 figs., 19 plts; München
^Maisch MW, Reisdorf AG, Schlatter R, Wetzel A. 2008. A large skull of Ichthyosaurus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Lower Sinemurian (Lower Jurassic) of Frick (NW Switzerland). Swiss Journal of Geosciences101: 617-627.
^ abJudy A. Massare & Dean R. Lomax (2018). A taxonomic reassessment of Ichthyosaurus communis and I. intermedius and a revised diagnosis for the genus, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 16:3, 263-277, DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2017.129111
^Home, E. (1814). Some account of the fossil remains of an animal more nearly allied to fishes than any other classes of animals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 101, 571–577.
^McGowan, C. (1974). A revision of the latipinnate ichthyosaurs of the Lower Jurassic of England (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria). Life Science Contributions of the Royal Ontario Museum 100:1–30
^De la Beche, H. T. & W. D. Conybeare. (1821). Notice of the discovery of a new fossil animal, forming a link between the Ichthyosaurus and crocodile, together with general remarks on the osteology of the Ichthyosaurus. Transactions of the Geological Society of London 5: 559–594.
^Conybeare, W. D. (1822). Additional notices on the fossil genera Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus. Transactions of the Geological Society of London, 1, 103–123.
^ abcLomax, Dean R.; Massare, Judy A. (2015). "A new species of Ichthyosaurusfrom the Lower Jurassic of West Dorset, England, U.K." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (2): e903260. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.903260. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85745787.
^ abGill, Victoria (19 February 2015). "BBC News - Forgotten fossil found to be new species of ichthyosaur". BBC Online. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
^. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
^Lomax, D.R.; Sachs, S. (2017). "On the largest Ichthyosaurus: A new specimen of Ichthyosaurus somersetensis containing an embryo". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 62. doi:10.4202/app.00376.2017.
^ abBöttcher R. 1990. Neue Erkenntnisse über die Fortpflanzungsbiologie der Ichthyosaurier. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie)164: 1-51
^Martill D.M. 1993. Soupy Substrates: A Medium for the Exceptional Preservation of Ichthyosaurs of the Posidonia Shale (Lower Jurassic) of Germany. Kaupia - Darmstädter Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte2: 77-97
^Druckenmiller, P. M.; Maxwell, E. E. (2010). "A new Lower Cretaceous (lower Albian) ichthyosaur genus from the Clearwater Formation, Alberta, Canada". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 47 (8): 1037–1053. Bibcode:2010CaJES..47.1037D. doi:10.1139/E10-028.
^ abArkhangel’sky, M. S., 1998, On the Ichthyosaurian Genus Platypterygius: Palaeontological Journal, v. 32, n. 6, p. 611-615.
^Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 80. ISBN1-84028-152-9.
^Charles Godfrey Leland, Gaudeamus! Humorous Poems by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel, Ebook-Nr. 35848 on gutenberg.org
July 21, 2023
ichthyosaurus, derived, from, greek, ἰχθύς, ichthys, meaning, fish, σαῦρος, sauros, meaning, lizard, genus, ichthyosaurs, from, early, jurassic, hettangian, pliensbachian, with, possible, late, triassic, record, from, europe, belgium, england, germany, switzer. Ichthyosaurus derived from Greek ἰx8ys ichthys meaning fish and saῦros sauros meaning lizard is a genus of ichthyosaurs from the Early Jurassic Hettangian Pliensbachian 3 with possible Late Triassic record 1 from Europe Belgium England Germany Switzerland and Portugal 4 It is among the best known ichthyosaur genera as it is the type genus of the order Ichthyosauria 5 6 7 IchthyosaurusTemporal range Early Jurassic Hettangian Pliensbachian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Late Triassic Rhaetian record but yet to be confirmed 1 Fossil specimen of I somersetensis at Natural History Museum LondonScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder IchthyosauriaFamily IchthyosauridaeGenus IchthyosaurusDe la Beche amp Conybeare 1821Type species Ichthyosaurus communisDe la Beche amp Conybeare 1822Other species I breviceps Owen 1881 I conybeari Lydekker 1888 I anningae Lomax amp Massare 2015 I larkini Lomax amp Massare 2017 2 I somersetensis Lomax amp Massare 2017 2 Contents 1 History of discovery 2 Description 3 Classification 4 Palaeobiology 5 Cultural significance 6 See also 7 ReferencesHistory of discovery EditIchthyosaurus was the first complete fossil to be discovered in the early 19th century by Mary Anning in England 8 the holotype of I communis no coll number given 9 was a fairly complete specimen discovered by Mary and Joseph Anning around 1814 in Lyme Regis 10 but was reported as lost by McGowan 1974 in his review of the latipinnate ichthyosaurs of England 11 The name Ichthyosaurus was first used by Charles Konig in 1818 but it was not used in a formal scientific description with the earliest described ichthyosaur being Proteosaurus by James Everard Home in 1819 for a skeleton which is now attributed to Temnodontosaurus platyodon Henry De la Beche and William Conybeare in 1821 considered Ichthyosaurus to have taxonomic priority over Proteosaurus and named the species I communis based on BMNH 2149 now NHMUK PV R1158 a now partially lost specimen now assigned to Temnodontosaurus that was discovered and collected between 1811 and 1812 12 13 During the 19th century almost all fossil ichthyosaurs were attributed to Ichthyosaurus resulting in the genus having over 50 species by 1900 These species were subsequently moved to separate genera or synonymised with other species 14 I anningae described in 2015 from a fossil found in the early 1980s in Dorset England was named after Anning 15 16 14 The fossil was acquired by Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery where it was misidentified as a plaster cast In 2008 Dean Lomax from the University of Manchester recognised it as genuine and worked with Judy Massare of the State University of New York to establish it as a new species 15 Description Edit Size comparisonIchthyosaurus was smaller than most of its relatives with the largest specimen of I somersetensis measuring up to 3 3 3 m 9 8 10 8 ft in length 17 In comparison other species were much smaller with the I communis reaching up to 2 metres 6 6 ft in length I larkini probably up to 2 5 metres 8 2 ft I anningae up to 1 8 metres 5 9 ft I breviceps up to 1 9 metres 6 2 ft and I conybeari up to 1 5 metres 4 9 ft 1 9 Many Ichthyosaurus fossils are well preserved and fully articulated Some fossils still had baby specimens inside them indicating that Ichthyosaurus was viviparous Similar finds in the related Stenopterygius also show this 18 19 Jurassic ichthyosaurs had a fleshy dorsal fin on their back as well as a large caudal fin Icthyosaurus is distinguished from other ichthyosaurs by having a wide forefin with 5 or more digits with an anterior digital bifurcation but the morphology of the humerus and coracoids are also distinct from that of other Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs as is the arrangement of the dermal bones though the suture lines used to diagnose these are not always visible 14 Classification EditThis cladogram below follows the topology from a 2010 analysis by Patrick S Druckenmiller and Erin E Maxwell 20 Restoration of I communis Skeleton of I brevicepsThunnosauria IchthyosaurusStenopterygiusBaptanodon Ophthalmosauridae AegirosaurusOphthalmosaurus type species MollesaurusAthabascasaurusBrachypterygiusArthropterygiusCaypullisaurus Platypterygius hercynicus Platypterygius australis Longirostria 21 Platypterygius type species Maiaspondylus Platypterygius americanus Tenuirostria 21 Palaeobiology Edit Restoration of three I anningaeIchthyosaurus ear bones were solid probably transferring water vibrations to the inner ear Even so anatomical features demonstrate that it was a visually oriented predator it had huge sensitive eyes protected by bony shields Coprolites of Ichthyosaurus reveal that its diet consisted of fish and squid 22 It was initially believed that Ichthyosaurus laid eggs on land but fossil evidence shows that in fact the females gave birth to live young As such they were well adapted to life as fully pelagic organisms i e they never came onto land The babies were born tail first to prevent them from drowning in the water 18 Cultural significance Edit German Wikisource has original text related to this article Allgemeines Deutsches Kommersbuch 306 Tooth of Ichthyosaurus unknown speciesJoseph Victor von Scheffels poem Der Ichthyosaurus describes its extinction in humouristic verses A monument on Hohentwiel cites it as well 23 The poem has been translated among others by Charles Godfrey Leland 24 Some of the stanzas The rushes are strangely rustling The ocean uncannily gleams As with tears in his eyes down gushing An Ichthyosaurus swims He bewails the frightful corruption Of his age for an awful tone Has lately been noticed by many In the Lias formation shown The Plesiosaurus the elder Goes roaring about on a spree The Pterodactylus even Comes flying as drunk as can be The Iguanodon the blackguard Deserves to be publicly hissed Since he lately in open daylight The Ichthyosaura kissed The end of the world is coming Things can t go on long in this way The Lias formation can t stand it Is all that I ve got to say And this petrifideal ditty Who was it this song did write Twas found as a fossil album leaf Upon a coprolite See also EditList of ichthyosaurs Timeline of ichthyosaur researchReferences Edit a b c Lomax D R 2019 A revision of Ichthyosaurus Reptilia Ichthyosauria PDF The University of Manchester Manchester eScholar pp 1 414 S2CID 210305170 a b Dean R Lomax Judy A Massare 2017 Two new species of Ichthyosaurus from the lowermost Jurassic Hettangian of Somerset England Papers in Palaeontology 3 1 20 doi 10 1002 spp2 1065 S2CID 89567182 Dean R Lomax 2010 An Ichthyosaurus Reptilia Ichthyosauria with gastric contents from Charmouth England First report of the genus from the Pliensbachian Paludicola 8 1 22 36 Sousa Joao Mateus Octavio 9 September 2021 The southernmost occurrence of Ichthyosaurus from the Sinemurian of Portugal Fossil Record 24 2 287 294 doi 10 5194 fr 24 287 2021 ISSN 2193 0066 S2CID 239059696 Maisch MW Matzke AT 2000 The Ichthyosauria Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde Serie B Geologie und Palaontologie 298 1 159 McGowan C Motani R 2003 Ichthyopterygia In Sues H D ed Handbook of Paleoherpetology Part 8 Verlag Dr Friedrich Pfeil 175 pp 101 figs 19 plts Munchen Maisch MW Reisdorf AG Schlatter R Wetzel A 2008 A large skull of Ichthyosaurus Reptilia Ichthyosauria from the Lower Sinemurian Lower Jurassic of Frick NW Switzerland Swiss Journal of Geosciences 101 617 627 Essesials of Anthropology 6th addition a b Judy A Massare amp Dean R Lomax 2018 A taxonomic reassessment of Ichthyosaurus communis and I intermedius and a revised diagnosis for the genus Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 16 3 263 277 DOI 10 1080 14772019 2017 129111 Home E 1814 Some account of the fossil remains of an animal more nearly allied to fishes than any other classes of animals Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 101 571 577 McGowan C 1974 A revision of the latipinnate ichthyosaurs of the Lower Jurassic of England Reptilia Ichthyosauria Life Science Contributions of the Royal Ontario Museum 100 1 30 De la Beche H T amp W D Conybeare 1821 Notice of the discovery of a new fossil animal forming a link between the Ichthyosaurus and crocodile together with general remarks on the osteology of the Ichthyosaurus Transactions of the Geological Society of London 5 559 594 Conybeare W D 1822 Additional notices on the fossil genera Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus Transactions of the Geological Society of London 1 103 123 a b c Lomax Dean R Massare Judy A 2015 A new species of Ichthyosaurusfrom the Lower Jurassic of West Dorset England U K Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35 2 e903260 doi 10 1080 02724634 2014 903260 ISSN 0272 4634 S2CID 85745787 a b Gill Victoria 19 February 2015 BBC News Forgotten fossil found to be new species of ichthyosaur BBC Online Retrieved 22 February 2015 New species discovered in Doncaster 19 February 2015 Archived from the original on 22 February 2015 Retrieved 22 February 2015 Lomax D R Sachs S 2017 On the largest Ichthyosaurus A new specimen of Ichthyosaurus somersetensis containing an embryo Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 62 doi 10 4202 app 00376 2017 a b Bottcher R 1990 Neue Erkenntnisse uber die Fortpflanzungsbiologie der Ichthyosaurier Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde Serie B Geologie und Palaontologie 164 1 51 Martill D M 1993 Soupy Substrates A Medium for the Exceptional Preservation of Ichthyosaurs of the Posidonia Shale Lower Jurassic of Germany Kaupia Darmstadter Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte 2 77 97 Druckenmiller P M Maxwell E E 2010 A new Lower Cretaceous lower Albian ichthyosaur genus from the Clearwater Formation Alberta Canada Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 47 8 1037 1053 Bibcode 2010CaJES 47 1037D doi 10 1139 E10 028 a b Arkhangel sky M S 1998 On the Ichthyosaurian Genus Platypterygius Palaeontological Journal v 32 n 6 p 611 615 Palmer D ed 1999 The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals London Marshall Editions p 80 ISBN 1 84028 152 9 Werkkatalog Sieckes PDF 7 7 MB Charles Godfrey Leland Gaudeamus Humorous Poems by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel Ebook Nr 35848 on gutenberg org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ichthyosaurus amp oldid 1165667923, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
