A newly discovered plesiosaur fossil from Germany reveals that these ancient marine reptiles were evolving into distinct regional species far earlier than scientists believed. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com
SciTechDaily has a story about the discovery of a new plesiosaur in Gernany. The fossil specimen is a remarkably preserved Plesiopterys wildi from Holzmaden’s Posidonienschiefer Formation. It sheds light on the diversity of plesiosaurs during the early Jurassic Period about 180 million years ago. The research was published in the journal PeerJ Life and Environment.
Discovered in the Lower Jurassic Posidonienschiefer Formation near Holzmaden, the fossil, designated MH 7, is one of the most complete articulated plesiosaur skeletons ever found in the area. While ichthyosaurs and marine crocodile relatives are more commonly uncovered in this formation, plesiosaurs are much rarer. This find offers a unique window into the biodiversity of these long-necked marine reptiles during a key moment in their evolutionary history.
...
“The Holzmaden specimen gives us an unprecedented look at Plesiopterys wildi in a more mature stage of development, allowing us to refine our understanding of this species and its place in plesiosaur evolution,” said lead author Miguel Marx from Lund University. “It also suggests that distinct plesiosaur communities may have evolved in different regions of the European seas during the Early Jurassic.”
