Undorosaurus
Encyclopedia
Undorosaurus is an extinct genus
of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur
known from Ul'yanovsk Province of western Russia
.
UPM
EP-II-20 (527), a partial three-dimensionally preserved skeleton
which preserved partial skull
. It was collected near the Volga river
at Gorodische from the Epivirgatites nikitini ammonoid zone, dating to the Late Jurassic
.
Maisch and Matzke (2000) regarded Undorosaurus to be a species of Ophthalmosaurus
. However, Storrs et al. 2000 rejected this synonymy based on the tooth morphology of the specimen. Chris McGowan and Ryosuke Motani (2003) pointed out two noteworthy differences to Ophthalmosaurus, an incompletely fused ischiopubis and a remarkably strong dentition, and considered Undorosaurus to be a valid genus of ophthalmosaurid. Undorosauruss validity is now accepted by most authors, even by Maisch (2010) who originally proposed the synonymy.
and the type species
is Undorosaurus gorodischensis. The specific name is named after Gorodische, the type locality of this taxon.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins...
known from Ul'yanovsk Province of western Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Description
Undorosaurus is known from the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
UPM
UPM
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EP-II-20 (527), a partial three-dimensionally preserved skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
which preserved partial skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
. It was collected near the Volga river
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
at Gorodische from the Epivirgatites nikitini ammonoid zone, dating to the Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
.
Maisch and Matzke (2000) regarded Undorosaurus to be a species of Ophthalmosaurus
Ophthalmosaurus
Ophthalmosaurus is an ichthyosaur of the Middle to Late Jurassic period , named for its extremely large eyes. It had a graceful 6 metre long dolphin-shaped body, and its almost toothless jaw was well adapted for catching squid...
. However, Storrs et al. 2000 rejected this synonymy based on the tooth morphology of the specimen. Chris McGowan and Ryosuke Motani (2003) pointed out two noteworthy differences to Ophthalmosaurus, an incompletely fused ischiopubis and a remarkably strong dentition, and considered Undorosaurus to be a valid genus of ophthalmosaurid. Undorosauruss validity is now accepted by most authors, even by Maisch (2010) who originally proposed the synonymy.
Etymology
Undorosaurus was named by Vladimir M. Efimov in 19991999 in paleontology
-Insects:-Newly named taxa:-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.-New taxa:-New taxa:-Non-mammalian:-References:...
and the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Undorosaurus gorodischensis. The specific name is named after Gorodische, the type locality of this taxon.