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Skin, scales, and cells in a Jurassic plesiosaur

Marx, Miguel LU orcid ; Sjövall, Peter ; Kear, Benjamin P. ; Jarenmark, Martin LU ; Eriksson, Mats E. LU ; Sachs, Sven ; Nilkens, Klaus ; Op De Beeck, Michiel LU orcid and Lindgren, Johan LU (2025) In Current Biology 35(5). p.3-1120
Abstract

Plesiosaurs are an iconic group of Mesozoic marine reptiles with an evolutionary history spanning over 140 million years (Ma).1 Their skeletal remains have been discovered worldwide; however, accompanying fossilized soft tissues are exceptionally rare.2 Here, we report a virtually complete plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic (∼183 Ma)3 Posidonia Shale of Germany that preserves skin traces from around the tail and front flipper. The tail integument was apparently scale-less and retains identifiable melanosomes, keratinocytes with cell nuclei, and the stratum corneum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale of the epidermis. Molecular analysis reveals aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons that likely denote... (More)

Plesiosaurs are an iconic group of Mesozoic marine reptiles with an evolutionary history spanning over 140 million years (Ma).1 Their skeletal remains have been discovered worldwide; however, accompanying fossilized soft tissues are exceptionally rare.2 Here, we report a virtually complete plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic (∼183 Ma)3 Posidonia Shale of Germany that preserves skin traces from around the tail and front flipper. The tail integument was apparently scale-less and retains identifiable melanosomes, keratinocytes with cell nuclei, and the stratum corneum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale of the epidermis. Molecular analysis reveals aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons that likely denote degraded original organics. The flipper integument otherwise integrates small, sub-triangular structures reminiscent of modern reptilian scales. These may have influenced flipper hydrodynamics and/or provided traction on the substrate during benthic feeding. Similar to other sea-going reptiles,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 scalation covering at least part of the body therefore probably augmented the paleoecology of plesiosaurs.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
cells, epidermis, evolution, Germany, Jurassic, Mesozoic, plesiosaur, Posidonia Shale, scales, skin
in
Current Biology
volume
35
issue
5
pages
3 - 1120
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:39919740
  • scopus:85218850871
ISSN
0960-9822
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
id
5af88013-7060-4327-a943-dc47eca34d63
date added to LUP
2025-03-11 12:00:13
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:26:56
@article{5af88013-7060-4327-a943-dc47eca34d63,
  abstract     = {{<p>Plesiosaurs are an iconic group of Mesozoic marine reptiles with an evolutionary history spanning over 140 million years (Ma).<sup>1</sup> Their skeletal remains have been discovered worldwide; however, accompanying fossilized soft tissues are exceptionally rare.<sup>2</sup> Here, we report a virtually complete plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic (∼183 Ma)<sup>3</sup> Posidonia Shale of Germany that preserves skin traces from around the tail and front flipper. The tail integument was apparently scale-less and retains identifiable melanosomes, keratinocytes with cell nuclei, and the stratum corneum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale of the epidermis. Molecular analysis reveals aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons that likely denote degraded original organics. The flipper integument otherwise integrates small, sub-triangular structures reminiscent of modern reptilian scales. These may have influenced flipper hydrodynamics and/or provided traction on the substrate during benthic feeding. Similar to other sea-going reptiles,<sup>4</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>5</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>6</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>7</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>8</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>9</sup><sup>,</sup><sup>10</sup> scalation covering at least part of the body therefore probably augmented the paleoecology of plesiosaurs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Marx, Miguel and Sjövall, Peter and Kear, Benjamin P. and Jarenmark, Martin and Eriksson, Mats E. and Sachs, Sven and Nilkens, Klaus and Op De Beeck, Michiel and Lindgren, Johan}},
  issn         = {{0960-9822}},
  keywords     = {{cells; epidermis; evolution; Germany; Jurassic; Mesozoic; plesiosaur; Posidonia Shale; scales; skin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{3--1120}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Current Biology}},
  title        = {{Skin, scales, and cells in a Jurassic plesiosaur}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.001}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}