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A new specimen of Plesiopterys wildi reveals the diversification of cryptoclidian precursors and possible endemism within European Early Jurassic plesiosaur assemblages

Marx, Miguel LU orcid ; Sachs, Sven ; Kear, Benjamin P ; Eriksson, Mats LU ; Nilkens, Klaus and Lindgren, Johan LU (2025) In PeerJ 13.
Abstract
A virtually complete and articulated plesiosaur skeleton (MH 7) is described from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonienschiefer Formation near Holzmaden in southern Germany. Plesiosaur remains are rare in this rock unit compared to those of other marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs and thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs. The new specimen offers an opportunity to assess the biodiversity of Early Jurassic plesiosaurs documented from what is now Central Europe.
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biodiversity, Diversification, Endemism, Jurassic, Plesiosaur
in
PeerJ
volume
13
article number
18960
pages
33 pages
publisher
PeerJ
external identifiers
  • pmid:40183068
  • scopus:105001556718
ISSN
2167-8359
DOI
10.7717/peerj.18960
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7b7924fa-81ba-43ad-bf3a-8a8b07421419
date added to LUP
2025-04-04 10:34:44
date last changed
2025-05-14 04:00:53
@article{7b7924fa-81ba-43ad-bf3a-8a8b07421419,
  abstract     = {{A virtually complete and articulated plesiosaur skeleton (MH 7) is described from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonienschiefer Formation near Holzmaden in southern Germany. Plesiosaur remains are rare in this rock unit compared to those of other marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs and thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs. The new specimen offers an opportunity to assess the biodiversity of Early Jurassic plesiosaurs documented from what is now Central Europe.}},
  author       = {{Marx, Miguel and Sachs, Sven and Kear, Benjamin P and Eriksson, Mats and Nilkens, Klaus and Lindgren, Johan}},
  issn         = {{2167-8359}},
  keywords     = {{Biodiversity, Diversification, Endemism, Jurassic, Plesiosaur}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  publisher    = {{PeerJ}},
  series       = {{PeerJ}},
  title        = {{A new specimen of Plesiopterys wildi reveals the diversification of cryptoclidian precursors and possible endemism within European Early Jurassic plesiosaur assemblages}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18960}},
  doi          = {{10.7717/peerj.18960}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}