Colymbosaurus: Research Database
Plesiosauria (Sauropterygia) · Late Jurassic (~160–155 MYA) ·> Europe — England (Kimmeridge Clay)
Research Note: Colymbosaurus was a plesiosaurian marine reptile from the Late Jurassic of Europe. As a member of the plesiosaur radiation, it provides important data on marine reptile diversity in the Jurassic seas.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Vincent 2010: Colymbosaurus from the Jurassic of Europe
Vincent 2010 provides comprehensive anatomical data on Colymbosaurus from the Late Jurassic of Europe, establishing its plesiosaurian affinities and morphological characteristics
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Confirmed | A | 2010 | Fossil | Vincent, Palaeontographica | Taxonomy |
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Vincent & Bardet 2007: Plesiosaur diversity in the Jurassic of Europe
Vincent & Bardet 2007 provide additional data on Colymbosaurus and plesiosaur diversity from the Jurassic of Europe, contextualising its evolutionary significance within marine reptile communities
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Reviewed | B | 2007 | Fossil | Vincent & Bardet, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Diversity |
Active Debate: Plesiosaur Systematics and Jurassic Marine Reptile Evolution
The precise phylogenetic placement of Colymbosaurus within Plesiosauria and its relationships to other Jurassic marine reptiles continue to be refined.
What We Still Do Not Know About Colymbosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diving behavior: Inferred from related forms.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body mass: Estimated.
In Depth
Another plesiosaur named Kimmerosaurus is known from the Kimmeridge Clay, and interestingly while Colymbosaurus is known only from incomplete post cranial remains, Kimmerosaurus is known only from the skull and a few cervical vertebra. This has led to speculation that the two genera are actually one and the same species. However, only the more complete remains that fill in the gaps of either one would be enough to settle this with certainty.
Further Reading
– Note on some generic modifications of the plesiosaurian pectoral arch. – Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 30:436-449. – H. G. Seeley – 1874. – The English Upper Jurassic Plesiosauridea (Reptilia) and a review of the phylogeny and classification of the Plesiosauria. – Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History. 35 (4): 253–347. – D. S. Brown – 1981. – Anatomy of Colymbosaurus (Reptilia, Plesiosauria) from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of the U.K., and high diversity among Late Jurassic plesiosauroids. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(5), 1053-1071. – R. B. J. Benson & T. Bowdler – 2014.
