Eusaurosphargis

Eusaurosphargis is an extinct genus of a diapsid reptile, known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian and Ladinian age) Besano Formation of northern Italy and Prosanto Formation of south-eastern Switzerland. It contains a single species, Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi. It was a small reptile, measuring long. The holotype of Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi (BES SC 390) is a partial skeleton of a single individual found disarticulated but in close association. BES SC 390 was collected from an oil shale at Cava di Besano of the Besano Formation (Grenzbitumenzone). These lagoonal beds are equivalent to those at Monte San Giorgio, dating to the Anisian-Ladinian boundary, probably to the latest Anisian at this location, of the early Middle Triassic, about 243 million years ago. Nicole Klein and Oliver J. Sichelschmidt (2014) described disarticulated remains they referred to Eusaurosphargis sp. These remains were collected from the Dutch Winterswijk Quarry III of the Vossenveld Formation, dating to the late Anisian stage. A new, complete and almost entirely-articulated specimen was described in 2017 from Ducanfurgga, near Davos, Canton Grisons (Graubünden) in Swiss Alps (PIMUZ A/III 4380). This specimen is of a juvenile and displays extensive osteoderm armor and morphology that indicates that the animal was not aquatic as previously thought. Although a semi-aquatic lifestyle was not ruled out. Eusaurosphargis was first described and named by Stefania Nosotti and Olivier Rieppel in 2003 and the type species is Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi. The generic name is derived from Greek eu, meaning "true/well", sauros, meaning "lizard", and sphargis, the old genus name for the leatherback turtle, in reference to the many similarities Eusaurosphargis shares with Saurosphargis, a taxon whose holotype was lost and was thus considered a mystery. Like the name of Saurosphargis itself, it also refers to Eusaurosphargis appear haveseemingly transitional traits between turtles and other reptiles.

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Related concepts (5)

Helveticosaurus

Helveticosaurus is an extinct genus of diapsid marine reptile known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian-Ladinian boundary) of southern Switzerland. It contains a single species, Helveticosaurus zollingeri, known from the nearly complete holotype T 4352 collected at Cava Tre Fontane of Monte San Giorgio, an area well known for its rich record of marine life during the Middle Triassic. Helveticosaurus is known from a nearly complete holotype which includes the premaxilla, maxilla, prefrontal, postfrontal, postorbital, squamosal, dentary and a postcranial skeleton.

Sinosaurosphargis

Sinosaurosphargis is an extinct genus of basal marine saurosphargid reptile known from the Middle Triassic Guanling Formation of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces, southwestern China. It contains a single species, Sinosaurosphargis yunguiensis. Saurosphargis is known from several individuals, all of which were collected from Member II of the Guanling Formation, dating to the Pelsonian substage of the latest Anisian stage of the early Middle Triassic, about 243 million years ago.

Largocephalosaurus

Largocephalosaurus is an extinct genus of basal saurosphargid, a marine reptile known from the Middle Triassic (Anisian age) Guanling Formation of Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces, southwestern China. It contains a type species, Largocephalosaurus polycarpon, and a second species L. qianensis. L. polycarpon was initially interpreted as an eosauropterygian sauropterygian closely related to European pachypleurosaurs and nothosaurids. However following additional preparation of the postcranial skeleton and the discovery of a second better known species L.