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Megacephalosaurus eulerti

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Pliosauridae

Taxonomy
Megacephalosaurus eulerti was named by Schumacher et al. (2013). Its type specimen is FHSM VP-321, a partial skeleton (nearly complete skull and mandibles, anterior cervical material), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Eulert Ranch, Saline River valley, which is in a Turonian marine horizon in the Carlile Shale Formation of Kansas. It is the type species of Megacephalosaurus.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2013Megacephalosaurus eulerti Schumacher et al. p. 617 figs. 6-9, 11

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
RankNameAuthor
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
suborderSauropterygia
orderPlesiosauriade Blainville 1835
superfamilyPliosauroideaWelles 1943
familyPliosauridaeSeeley 1874
—Thalassophonea
subfamilyBrachaucheninae(Williston 1925)
genusMegacephalosaurus
specieseulerti

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Megacephalosaurus eulerti Schumacher et al. 2013
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
B. A. Schumacher et al. 2013Large pliosaurid plesiosaur, adult skull exceeding 1.5 m in length; pretemporal length of palate significantly longer (temporal fenestrae shorter) than B. lucasi; frontals interdigitate in the premaxilla/parietal suture in M. eulerti; frontals do not contact posterior termination of premaxillae in B. lucasi but send a thin wedge of bone anteriorly between premaxillae and maxillae; premaxilla/parietal suture occurs near posterior border of external nares in M. eulerti, but more posteriorly in B. lucasi (midway between external nares and orbits); vomers longer and caudal vomerian fenestrae positioned further posteriorly than in B. lucasi ; posterior termination of vomers visible, medial palatine alae occur further posteriorly than in B. lucasi; long slit-like anterior pterygoid vacuity present, absent in B. lucasi; at least some cervical ribs double-headed, whereas all cervical ribs single-headed in B. lucasi
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatitesuperf
Environment: marinesuperf
Locomotion: actively mobilesuperf
Life habit: nektonicsuperf
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoresuperf
Reproduction: viviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalsuperf
Created: 2005-11-07 12:13:24
Modified: 2009-07-25 10:49:01
Source: superf = superfamily, o = order
References: Kiessling 2004, Hampe 2005

Age range: Middle Turonian or 93.50000 to 89.30000 Ma

Collections (2 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Turonian - Middle Turonian93.5 - 89.3USA (Kansas) Brachauchenius lucasi (132610)
Middle Turonian93.5 - 89.3USA (Kansas) Brachauchenius lucasi (type locality: 117804)