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Cranial Osteology Of The Giant Mosasaur Plesiotylosaurus (Squamata, Mosasauridae)

Lindgren, Johan LU (2009) In Journal of Paleontology 83(3). p.448-456
Abstract
Based on the type material and a new, virtually intact skull from the mid-Maastrichtian pail (probably Tierra Loma Shale) of the Moreno Formation, San Joaquin Valley, central California, the cranial osteology of the enigmatic mosasaurine Plesiotylosaurus crassidens (Squamata, Mosasauridae) is here described in detail. Plesiotylosaurus is characterized by a protruding rostrum on the snout and mandibles, a wide and virtually unconstricted internarial bar, large and robust pterygoid teeth, and quadrates with distally fused suprastapedial and infrastapedial processes. Distinctly obtruding predental prows, along with a number of elaborate cranial features, suggest a morphological convergence with tylosaurine mosasaurs.
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Paleontology
volume
83
issue
3
pages
448 - 456
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000266348400011
  • scopus:67649970404
ISSN
0022-3360
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4bc9841f-9308-44a8-ba31-762b642c2bc0 (old id 1424979)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:53:25
date last changed
2025-01-03 16:44:43
@article{4bc9841f-9308-44a8-ba31-762b642c2bc0,
  abstract     = {{Based on the type material and a new, virtually intact skull from the mid-Maastrichtian pail (probably Tierra Loma Shale) of the Moreno Formation, San Joaquin Valley, central California, the cranial osteology of the enigmatic mosasaurine Plesiotylosaurus crassidens (Squamata, Mosasauridae) is here described in detail. Plesiotylosaurus is characterized by a protruding rostrum on the snout and mandibles, a wide and virtually unconstricted internarial bar, large and robust pterygoid teeth, and quadrates with distally fused suprastapedial and infrastapedial processes. Distinctly obtruding predental prows, along with a number of elaborate cranial features, suggest a morphological convergence with tylosaurine mosasaurs.}},
  author       = {{Lindgren, Johan}},
  issn         = {{0022-3360}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{448--456}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Paleontology}},
  title        = {{Cranial Osteology Of The Giant Mosasaur Plesiotylosaurus (Squamata, Mosasauridae)}},
  volume       = {{83}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}