Abstract
A new eosauropterygian, Largocephalosaurus polycarpon gen. et sp. nov., was described based on a skeleton from the Middle Triassic of Luoping (罗平), Yunnan (云南) Province, southwestern China. The new taxon is characterized by a big skull, paired frontal, laterally expanded upper temporal fossa, anterior process of squamosal entering orbit, robust teeth with basally expanded crown and blunt tip, short cervical region, distinctly elongated transverse process of the dorsal vertebrae, short and broad dorsal ribs, stout gastralia, scapula with distinctly posterodorsally extending blade, distinctly robust humerus, eleven carpal ossifications, and a manual fomula of 2-3-4-5-5. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that Largocephalosaurus is the basal-most member of a clade including Wumengosaurus, European pachypleurosaurs, and Nothosauroidea.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Carroll, R. L., Gaskill, P., 1985. The Nothosaur Pachypleurosaurus and the Origin of Plesiosaurs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B, 309(1139): 343–393, doi: 10.1098/rstb.1985.0091
Cheng, L., Chen, X. H., Zhang, B. M., et al., 2010. A New Material of Thalattosauria (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Middle Triassic of Luoping, Yunnan Province. Earth Sciene—Journal of China University of Geosciences, 35(4): 507–511 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Cheng, Y. N., Wu, X. C., Ji, Q., et al., 2004. Triassic Marine Reptile Gave Birth to Live Young. Nature, 432(7015): 383–386, doi:10.1038/nature03050
Cheng, Y. N., Sato, T., Wu, X. C., et al., 2006. First Complete Pistosauroid from the Triassic of China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26: 501–504
Cheng, Y. N., Holmes, R., Wu, X. C., et al., 2009. Sexual Dimorphism and Life History of Keichousaurus Hui (Reptilia: Sauropterygia). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 29(2): 401–408
Hao, W. C., Sun, Y. L., Jiang, D. Y., et al., 2006. Advance in Studies of the Panxian Fauna. Acta Sientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Pekinensis, 42(6): 817–823 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Holmes, R., Cheng, Y. N., Wu, X. C., 2008. New Information on the Skull of Keichousaurus Hui (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) with Comments on Sauropterygian Interrelationships. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(1): 76–84
Jiang, D. Y., Maisch., M. W., Hao, W. C., et al., 2006a. Nothosaurus Yangjuanensis n. sp. (Reptilia, Sauropterygia, Nothosauridae) from the Middle Anisian (Middle Triassic) of Guizhou, Southwestern China. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, 5: 257–276
Jiang, D. Y., Maisch, M. W., Sun, Z. Y., et al., 2006b. A New Species of Lariosaurus (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Middle Anisian (Middle Triassic) of Guizhou, Southwestern China. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 242: 19–42
Jiang, D. Y., Rieppel, O., Motani, R., et al., 2008. A New Middle Triassic Eosauropterygian (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from Southwestern China. Jounral of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(4): 1055–1062, doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1055
Li, C., 2000. Placodont (Reptilia: Placodontia) from Upper Triassic of Guizhou, Southwest China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 38: 314–317
Li, C., Rieppel, O., 2002. A New Cyamodontoid Placodont from Triassic of Guizhou, China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 47(5): 403–407, doi:10.1360/02tb9094
Li, J. L., Liu, J., Rieppel, O., 2002. A New Species of Lariosaurus (Sauropterygia: Nothosauridae) from Triassic of Guizhou, Southwest China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 40(2): 114–126 (in English with Chinese Abstract)
Li, J. L., 2006. A Brief Summary of the Triassic Marine Reptiles of China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 44(1): 99–108 (in English with Chinese Abstract)
Rieppel, O., 1998. The Systematic Status of Hanosaurus Hupehensis (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Triassic of China. Jounral of Vertebrate Paleontology, 18(3): 545–557
Rieppel, O., 2000. Sauropterygia I: Placodontia, Pachypleurosauria, Nothosauroidea, Pistosauroidea. In: Wellnhofer, P., ed., Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, 12A: i–x, 1–134.
Pfeil, Munich Rieppel, O., Lin, K., 1995. Pachypleurosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Lower Muschelkalk, and a Review of the Pachypleurosauroidea. Fiadiana (Geology), 32: 1–44
Rieppel, O., Sander, P. M., Storrs, W. G., 2002. The Skull of the Pistosaur Augustasaurus from the Middle Triassic of Nothwestern Nevada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22(3): 577–592, doi: 10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0577:TSOTPA]2.0.CO;2
Romer, A. S., 1956. Osteology of Reptiles. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Sander, P. M., 1989. The Pachypleurosaurids (Reptilia: Nothosauria) from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio, (Switzerland), with the Description of a New Species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B, 325(1230): 563–670
Storrs, G. W., 1991. Anatomy and Relationships of Corosaurus Alcovensis (Diapsida: Sauropterygia) and the Triassic Alcova Limestone of Wyoming. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 44: 1–151
Swofford, D. L., 2002. PAUP* 4.0b10. Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (*and Other Methods). Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts
Wang, X. F., Chen, X. H., Chen, L. D., et al., 2003. Study of the Guanling Biota in Guizhou: Progress and Problems. Geological Bulletin of China, 22(4): 221–227 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Wu, X. C., Cheng, Y. N., Li, C., et al., 2011. New Information on Wumengosaurus Delicatomandibularis Jiang et al., 2008 (Diapsida: Sauropterygia), with a Revision of the Osteology and Phylogeny of the Taxon. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 31(1): 70–83, doi: 10.1080/02724634.2011.546724
Young, C. C., 1965. On New Nothosaurs from Hupeh and Kweichou, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 9(4): 315–356 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Zhang, Q., Zhou, C., Lü, T., et al., 2008. Discovery and Significance of the Middle Triassic Anisian Biota from Luoping, Yunnan Province. Geological Review, 54(4): 523–526 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Zhang, Q., Zhou, C., Lü, T., et al., 2009. The Revision of the Age of the Middle Triassic Luoping Biota in Yunnan: the Evidence from Conodont. Science in China (Ser. D), 39(3): 300–305
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by China Geological Survey (Nos. 1212010611603 and 1212011120148).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cheng, L., Chen, X., Zeng, X. et al. A new eosauropterygian (Diapsida: Sauropterygia) from the Middle Triassic of Luoping, Yunnan Province. J. Earth Sci. 23, 33–40 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-012-0231-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-012-0231-z