A prevalence of Arthropterygius (Ichthyosauria: Ophthalmosauridae) in the Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous of the Boreal Realm.

ABSTRACT: The ichthyosaur genus Arthropterygius Maxwell, 2010 is considered as rare and poorly known. However, considering the existing uncertainty regarding its position in respect to ophthalmosaurid subfamilies in recent phylogenies, it is among the key taxa for understanding the evolution of derived Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous ichthyosaurs. Recently excavated unique material from the Berriassian of Franz Josef Land (Russian Extreme North) and examination of historical collections in Russian museums provided numerous specimens referable to Arthropterygius. The new data combined with personal examination of ichthyosaurs Palvennia, Janusaurus, and Keilhauia from Svalbard give us reason to refer all these taxa to Arthropterygius. Therefore, we recogniz

SUBMITTER: Zverkov NG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6497043 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature