Saurosphargidae

Saurosphargidae is an extinct family of marine reptiles known from the Early Triassic (Olenekian stage) and early Middle Triassic (Anisian stage) of Europe and China. The type genus of the family is Saurosphargis, named by Friedrich von Huene in 1936 based on a single specimen collected from the lower Anisian Lower Muschelkalk of Gogolin, Poland - a section of 12 incomplete back vertebrae with ribs. The generic name of Saurosphargis is derived from Greek sauros, "lizard", and sphargis, the old genus name for the leatherback turtle, in reference to the dorsal osteoderm "body armor" and broadened ribs forming a closed chest rib basket, traits that are seemingly transitional between turtles and other reptiles. However, due to the only known specimen' destruction during World War II, many authors considered Saurosphargis to be a nomen dubium. Nevertheless, even based on surviving descriptions alone, many differences were noted even from its closest known relative at the time, Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi from the Anisian-Ladinian boundary of the southern Alps. Various hypotheses existed for the affinities of these species, and together with Helveticosaurus, they were originally thought to be placodonts, but later studies suggested relatedness to other sauropterygians and / or ichthyopterygians. It wasn't until nearly a century after the discovery of Saurosphargis, that other specimens closely related to it were found in China. In 2011, Li et al. described and named three of these specimens, Sinosaurosphargis yunguiensis, referring to this species being the Chinese version of Saurosphargis. The specimens of Sinosaurosphargis were collected from Member II of the Guanling Formation, dating to the Pelsonian (mid-late Anisian). Based on very detailed descriptions and figures of Saurosphargis in Huene (1936), and based on comparisons with the well-preserved Sinosauropshargis, Li et al. (2011) resurrected Saurosphargis volzi as a valid species, and erected the family Saurosphargidae to contain the two.

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Concepts associés (6)

Eusaurosphargis

Eusaurosphargis est un genre éteint de reptiles diapsides, connu à partir du Trias moyen (âges anisien et ladinien) de la formation de Besano du nord de l'Italie et de la formation de Prosanto du sud-est de la Suisse. Il contient une seule espèce, Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi. L'holotype dEusaurosphargis dalsassoi (BES SC 390) est un squelette partiel d'un individu isolé désarticulé mais étroitement associé. Le BES SC 390 a été recueilli à partir d'un schiste bitumineux à Cava di Besano de la Formation de Besano (Grenzbitumenzone).

Sinosaurosphargis

est un genre éteint de reptiles marins basiques de la famille des Saurosphargidae et connu dans la formation de Guanling du Trias moyen (âge Anisien) des provinces du Yunnan et de Guizhou, dans le sud-ouest de la Chine. Il n'est représenté que par une seule espèce, . Sinosaurosphargis a été décrite et nommée pour la première fois par Chun Li, Olivier Rieppel, Xiao-Chun Wu, Li-Jun Zhao et Li-Ting Wang en 2011 et l'espèce type est Sinosaurosphargis yunguiensis.

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.