New ophthalmosaurids from Europe and Russia broaden the biodiversity of Early Cretaceous ichthyosaurs
2011
Fischer, Valentin
Ophthalmosauridae is a successful clade of ichthyosaurs that rapidly diversified during theMiddle Jurassic. By Late Jurassic, Ophthalmosauridae were diverse, widespread, and formedan important component of the marine trophic webs. By contrast, the record of Berriasian-Aptian ichthyosaurs is extremely poor, and all ichthyosaurs from that interval have beenreferred to a single genus, Platypterygius, until recently. This apparent diversity drop lednumerous authors to recognize a severe ichthyosaur extinction at the end of the Jurassicthat left ichthyosaurs as a small group on the decline. New specimens from poorly sampledtime periods (late Valanginian, late Hauterivian and late Barremian) in Europe and Russiacontradict this latest Jurassic extinction hypothesis and show that new and highly derivedas well as typically ‘Late Jurassic’ ichthyosaurs roamed the Eurasian archipelago during theEarly Cretaceous. Moreover, these new forms occupied ecological niches markedly differentfrom that of Platypterygius, significantly broadening the disparity and ecological diversity ofCretaceous ichthyosaurs
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