Shastasauridae

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Parent taxa:
(check the following menu and phylogeny - the taxon in bold refers to the topic on this page)


ICHTHYOSAURIA
Taxonomy Phylogeny 
o Ichthyopterygia
`--o ICHTHYOSAURIA
   |--Cymbospondylus
   `--+--Mixosaurus 
      `--o--Guanlingsaurus
         `--o Merriamosauria
            |--Shastasauridae
            `--o Euichthyosauria 
               |--Teretocnemidae
               `--+--Californosaurus
                  `--o Parvipelvia 
                     }--Macgovania
                     `--+--Hudsonelpidia
                        `--+--Suevoleviathan
                           `--+--Temnodontosaurus
                              |--Leptonectidae
                              `--o Thunnosauria 
                                 |--Stenopterygius
                                 |--Ichthyosaurus
                                 `--Ophthalmosauria


Shastasauridae


Contents

Introduction

The shastasaurs were an assemblage, which may or may not have been a clade, of Triassic ichthyosaurs. They seem to have lacked the familar dorsal fin of their cousins the Euichthyosauria, and the body was more elongate. Some shastasaurs grew to huge size - 10 to 20 meters or more in length

Information

Range: Late Triassic of Japan, China and North America

Phylogeny: Merriamosauria: Euichthyosauria + Shastasauria.

Characters

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Characters: medium to quite large in size; teeth isodont [S97]; implantation probably aulacodont in some species [Mo97]; $ parapophysis diminishes and disappears along cervical series [S97]; $ diapophysis elongates along cervical series [S97]; in Shonisaurus, diapophysis may split briefly into two dorsal & ventral, separate articulations over dorsal series [C80], [S97]; diapophysis separates from neural arch midway through dorsal series & moves down centra, becoming rounded instead of elongate [S97] (see also image at Californosaurus); no dorsal fin or semilunate caudal "fin"; less than 4 complete digits on fins [S97] [M97]; humerus very robust & usually as wide as long [M99]; humerus anterior flange reduced, thickened, and may be emarginated in the middle [M99]; humerus anterior flange tilted slightly dorsally [M99]; reduction of posterior humeral shaft proximally and distally [M99]; humerus with articular facet for radius enlarged, twice as wide as ulnar facet [M99]; deltopectoral ridge may run anterodistally or distally from deltopectoral crest, or posterodistally (plesiomorphic state) [M99]; humerus posterodistal tuberosity pronounced [M99]; humeral head may be directed proximodorsally (not proximally) &, if so, scapula glenoid facet tilted ventrally [M99]; movement still basically anguilliform.

References: Camp (1980) [C80], McGowan (1997) [M97]; Motani (1997) [Mo97]; Motani (1999) [M99]; Sander (1997) [S97].

References

  • Camp, CL (1980), Large ichthyosaurs from the Upper Triassic of Nevada. Palaeontographica Ser. A. 170: 139-200
  • McGowan, C (1997), A transitional ichthyosaur fauna, in JM Callaway & EL Nicholls (eds.), Ancient Marine Reptiles. Academic Press, pp. 61-80.
  • Motani, R. (1997), Temporal and spatial distribution of tooth implantation in ichthyosaurs, in JM Callaway & EL Nicholls (eds.), Ancient Marine Reptiles. Academic Press. pp. 81-103.
  • Motani, R (1999), On the evolution and homologies of ichthyopterygian forelimbs. J. Vert. Paleontol. 19: 28-41. PDF
  • Sander, PM (1997), The paleogeography of Shastasaurus, in JM Callaway & EL Nicholls (eds.), Ancient Marine Reptiles. Academic Press, pp. 17-43.

Links

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<a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/motani/ichthyo/taxa.html">Eyes</a>; <a href="http://www.cmnh.org/fun/dinosaur-archive/2001Jul/msg00107.html">New Shastasaurid from Canada</a>; <a href="http://www.valceresio.org/ittio/4.17_bes.htm">Besanosaurus</a> (Italian); <a href="http://www.fogato.com/modelli/besanosaur/besanosauro.html">modello del besanosauro</a>; <a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/indexbe.shtml">Paleontology and Geology Glossary: Be</a>; <a href="http://exn.ca/Stories/1999/09/15/53.asp">EXN Science Wire: Daily news from the world of science</a>; <a href="http://www.svpca.org/previousyears/2000/abstracts/abstractslm.html">SVPCA 2000 -Abstracts L-M</a>; <a href="http://www.nrc.ca/cgi-bin/cisti/journals/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e00-115_38_ns_nf_cjes6-01">NRC Research Press: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences</a>; <a href="http://www.svpca.org/personalaccounts/dn2000/06.marine.reptiles.html">Darren Naish</a>. <a href="http://alnus.uel.ac.uk/svp/jvp/14-168-179.html">A new species of shastasaurus ...</a>; <a href="http://prehistoricsillustrated.com/welcome.html">Welcome to Prehistorics Illustrated</a>; <a href="http://www.dinosaurier-interesse.de/web/Saurierarten/Ichthyosauria.html">Dinosaurier-Interesse - Saurier- Ordnung der Ichthyosauria</a> (German); <a href="http://www.dinodata.net/Marine/ichtyo.htm">DinoData Marine Reptiles Ichtyo</a>; <a href="http://www.uoregon.edu/~rmotani/pdf/sMotani1999a.pdf">ON THE EVOLUTION AND HOMOLOGIES OF ICHTHYOPTERYGIAN FOREFINS</a>; <a href="http://www.territoriodosdinossauros.hpg.ig.com.br/assuntojunho1.htm">TERRITÓRIO DOS DINOSSAUROS</a> (Portuguese: extensive discussion of Shonisaurus); <a href="http://www.cmnh.org/dinoarch/2000Oct/msg00427.html">Re- NEW RHYNCHOSAUR & TEMNOSPONDYLS</a> (summarizes some new phylogenies); <a href="http://www.tantiauguri.net/ricerche/dinosauri_GB.htm">Scopriamo insieme</a>.  

Credits

ATW031003 Palaeos com

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