Tag Archives: Plesiosaurus

Paleontologists Unveil a New Species of Plesiosaurus

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Paleontologists have uncovered a remarkable new genus and species of early extinct plesioaurooid plesiosaurs from a nearly complete skeleton discovered in the Jurassic Posidonian shale of Holzmaden, Germany.

Reconstruction of Plesionectes longicollum‘s life. Image credit: Peter Nicolaus.

The newly identified species, Plesionectes longicollum, thrived in the early Jurassic seas approximately 183 million years ago.

This marine reptile reached lengths of about 3.2 m, with a body length of 1.25 m and a tail measuring 81 cm.

The skeleton, complete with fossilized soft tissue remnants, was excavated in 1978 from a Posidonia Shale quarry in Holzmaden, Germany, and its distinct anatomical features are now fully recognized through thorough scientific examination.

“The specimen has been part of our collection for decades, yet prior studies never fully explored its unique anatomy,” remarked Dr. Sven Sachs, paleontologist at Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld.

“Our in-depth analysis uncovered a rare combination of skeletal traits that distinctly separate them from all previously recognized plesiosaurs.”

Skeleton of Plesionectes longicollum. Scale bar – 30 cm. Image credit: S. Sachs & D. Madzia, doi: 10.7717/Peerj.19665.

Plesionectes longicollum is particularly significant as it represents the oldest known plesiosaur from the Holzmadden area.

“This discovery contributes another piece to the evolutionary puzzle of marine ecosystems during a pivotal period in Earth’s history,” stated Dr. Daniel Magia, a paleontologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

“The early Toarcian epoch, when this creature existed, was marked by substantial environmental changes, including major marine anoxic events that impacted life in oceans globally.”

This finding illustrates that the Posidonian shales, well-known for their remarkably preserved fossils, harbor an even greater diversity of marine reptiles than previously acknowledged.

“The Posidonian Shale of Holzmaden has already yielded five other plesiosaur species, encompassing representatives from three major plesiosaur lineages,” the authors noted.

“This new addition provides one of the most vital insights into Jurassic marine life, enhancing our understanding of this era.”

Survey results will be available online in the journal Peerj.

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S. Sachs & D. Madzia. 2025. An unusual early fledgling plesiosauroid from the Lower Jurassic Posidonian Shale in Holzmaden, Germany. Peerj 13:E19665; doi:10.7717/peerj.19665

Source: www.sci.news

Insightful Discoveries: New Fossils Shed Light on Plesiosaurus Diversity and Local Adaptations

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German paleontologists have unearthed a very well-preserved skeleton of the early Jornaian plesiosauloid species Plesioptery Wildi.

MH 7 Skeleton Plesioptery Wildi Abdominal view. Image credit: Marx et al. , doi: 10.7717/peerj.18960.

From a global perspective, the early Jurassic was characterized by the steady division of the Supercontinent Pangaea and associated climate change that produced alternating greenhouses and ice house conditions.

These paleoenvironmental changes coincided with radiation in various reptile groups. Plesiosauria.

The early Jurassic fossil records of the Plesiosaurus are particularly diverse, with members of Plesiosauroidea, Pliosauridae and Rhomaleosauridae being represented by numerous species in Europe, particularly in Germany and the UK.

3 m long skeleton Plesioptery Wildi It provides new clues about the evolution and geographical distribution of early Jurassic Precio Sources.

Fossils that were 180 million years ago posidonienschiefer layer Near Holtzmadden in southern Germany.

The specimen, called MH 7, is one of the most complete and distinct plesioaurus skeletons found in the region.

“Unlike the fishy scallions and marine crocodile parents who dominate the fossil record of this formation, Pleciosaurus is relatively rare,” said Miguel Marx, a paleontologist at Lund University and his colleagues.

“Therefore, new discoveries offer rare glimpses into the biodiversity of these long-necked marine reptiles.”

“MH 7 represents someone who refines this type of known trait and refines its validity as a clear taxa.”

Phylogenetic analysis shows that Plesioptery Wildi It is a close-related early potential plesiosaualoid Franconiasaurus Brevispinus.

“This finding suggests a progressive evolutionary transition to more derived cryptocrizids in the late Jurassic period,” the paleontologist said.

“It supports the idea that Prisiosaurus species may have been regionally different in the Epicontoninent Seas of early Jurassic Europe, reinforcing the pattern of paleobiogeographic segregation.”

“The Holtzmadden specimen gives us an unprecedented view Plesioptery Wildi At a more mature stage of development, we can refine our understanding of this species and its place in the evolution of plesiosaurus,” said Dr. Marx.

“It also suggests that different plesiosaurus communities may have evolved in different regions of the European sea during the early Jurassic region.”

“Our research reinforces the Pleciosoaurus already evolves specialized adaptations and distinct regional lineages much faster than we believed,” added Dr. Sven Sachs, a researcher at the Naturkunde Museum Bielefeld.

“This has important implications for understanding how marine reptiles responded to changes in the Jurassic ocean environment.”

study Published in the journal Peerj.

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M. Marx et al. 2025. New specimen of Plesioptery Wildi We reveal the diversification and possible uniqueness of Cryptocrizia precursors in the early European Jurassic Plecioaurauro assembly. Peerj 13:E18960; doi:10.7717/peerj.18960

Source: www.sci.news