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Sachicasaurus

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Sachicasaurus
Temporal range: Barremian
~130–120 Ma PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Holotype specimen of Sachicasaurus.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Sauropterygia
Order: Plesiosauria
Family: Pliosauridae
Subfamily: Brachaucheninae
Genus: Sachicasaurus
Species: S. vitae
Binomial name
Sachicasaurus vitae
Páramo Fonseca et al., 2018

Sachicasaurus is an extinct genus of brachauchenine pliosaurid known from the Barremian of the Paja Formation, Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Colombian Eastern Ranges of the Andes. The type species is S. vitae.

Etymology

The genus name Sachicasaurus refers to Sáchica, the location where the fossil was found, and saurus, meaning "lizard" in Latinised Greek. The species epithet vitae, meaning "of life" in Latin, was chosen because of the life in Sáchica the fossil find has sparked.

Description

Size comparison

Sachicasaurus was a large pliosaur, with the type specimen measuring approximately 10 metres (33 ft) long and weighing 15 metric tons (17 short tons). The holotype specimen, MP111209-1, was found in 2013 and is known from a near complete skull, and postcranial elements including a complete hindlimb and various vertebrae. Diagnostic features include a very short mandibular symphysis, reduced number of mandibular teeth (17 to 18 versus 25 to 40 in other pliosaurids), slender teeth, among other features. With a preserved length of 9.9 metres (32 ft) (which may be missing the vertebrae from the end of the tail), the specimen is interpreted as a sub-adult individual. It is one of the largest and most complete pliosaurid specimens.

Paleoenvironment

Sachicasaurus is one of four pliosaurids from the Paja Formation, others being Acostasaurus, Stenorhynchosaurus, and Monquirasaurus. It is also contemporaneous with the elasmosaurids Callawayasaurus and Leivanectes, the marine turtle Desmatochelys padillai, the sandowniid turtle Leyvachelys, and the ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs Muiscasaurus and Kyhytysuka.

References

  1. ^ Páramo Fonseca, María Eurídice; Benavides Cabra, Cristian David; Gutiérrez, Ingry Esmirna (2018). "A new large pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia". Earth Sciences Research Journal. 22 (4): 223–238. doi:10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916. S2CID 135054193.
  2. Zhao, R.J. (2024). "Body reconstruction and size estimation of plesiosaurs". bioRxiv 10.1101/2024.02.15.578844.
  3. N. G. Zverkov, E. M. Pervushov (2020). "A gigantic pliosaurid from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Volga Region, Russia". Cretaceous Research. 110. Bibcode:2020CrRes.11004419Z. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104419.
  4. Gómez Pérez & Noè, 2017
  5. Páramo et al., 2016
  6. Noè, L.F.; Gómez-Pérez, M. (2021). "Giant pliosaurids (Sauropterygia; Plesiosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous peri-Gondwanan seas of Colombia and Australia". Cretaceous Research. 132: 105122. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105122.
  7. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2019
  8. Cadena et al., 2015a
  9. Cadena et al., 2015b
  10. Maxwell et al., 2015
  11. Cortés, D.; Maxwell, E.E.; Larsson, H.C.E. (2021). "Re-appearance of hypercarnivore ichthyosaurs in the Cretaceous with differentiated dentition: revision of Platypterygius sachicarum (Reptilia:Ichthyosauria, Ophthalmosauridae) from Colombia". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (14): 969–1002. Bibcode:2021JSPal..19..969C. doi:10.1080/14772019.2021.1989507. S2CID 244512087.

Bibliography

Sachicasaurus
Other paleofauna
Sauropterygia
Sauropsida
Sauropterygia
    • see below↓
Sauropterygia
Sauropterygia
Helveticosauridae?
Saurosphargidae
Placodontia
Cyamodontoidea
Eosauropterygia
    • see below↓
Helveticosaurus zollingeri Placochelys placodonta
Eosauropterygia
Eosauropterygia
Pachypleurosauria
Nothosauroidea
Simosauridae
Nothosauridae
Pistosauroidea
Plesiosauria
    • see below↓
Keichousaurus hui

Nothosaurus mirabilis

Pistosaurus longaevus
Plesiosauria
Plesiosauria
Rhomaleosauridae
Pliosauridae
Thalassophonea
Brachaucheninae
Plesiosauroidea
Microcleididae
Cryptoclidia
    • see below↓
Macroplata tenuiceps

Attenborosaurus conybeari

Hydrorion brachypterygius
Cryptoclidia
Cryptoclididae
Colymbosaurinae
Cryptoclidinae
Muraenosaurinae
Xenopsaria
Leptocleidia
Leptocleididae
Polycotylidae
Palmulasaurinae
Occultonectia
Polycotylinae
Dolichorhynchia
Elasmosauridae
Euelasmosaurida
Elasmosaurinae
Weddellonectia
Aristonectinae
Cryptoclidus eurymerus

Leptocleidus capensis

Elasmosaurus platyurus
Paleontology in Colombia
Notable
researchers
After 1900
19th century
Sachicasaurus is located in ColombiaBogotá FormationCerrejón FormationFloresta FormationHiló FormationValle Alto FormationPaja FormationHonda Group
Major
fossiliferous
stratigraphic units
Pleistocene
Neogene
Paleogene
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Devonian
Notable fossils
Pleistocene
Honda Gp.
Gualanday Gp.
Bogotá Fm.
Cerrejón Fm.
Oliní Gp.
Hondita Fm.
Hiló Fm.
Paja Fm.
Arcabuco Fm.
Valle Alto Fm.
Cuche Fm.
Floresta Fm.
CategoryImages

External links

Taxon identifiers
Sachicasaurus
Categories: