Hauffiosaurus

Name: Hauffiosaurus ‭(‬Hauff lizard‭ ‬-‭ ‬Named after the Hauff Museum‭)‬.
Phonetic: Hawf-fe-oh-sore-us.
Named By: F.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬O’Keefe‭ ‬-‭ ‬2001.
Synonyms: Macroplata longirostris, Plesiosaurus longirostris, Rhomaleosaurus longirostris.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesioasuria,‭ ‬Pliosauria.
Species: H.‭ ‬zanoni‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬longirostris,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬tomistomimus.
Diet: Piscivore.
Size: Depends upon species.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬zanoni about‭ ‬3.4‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬tomistomimus comfirmed to reach at least‭ ‬4.83‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: England‭ ‬-‭ ‬Whitby Mudstone Formation.‭ ‬Germany‭ ‬-‭ ‬Posidonia Shale Formation.
Time period: Toarcian of the Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Several individuals,‭ ‬some almost complete.

       The exact classification of Hauffiosaurus can vary depending upon the source,‭ ‬though most researchers concede that it is almost certainly a pliosaur.‭ ‬Further to this,‭ ‬specimens of the genus are superficially similar to‭ ‬the rhomaleosaurid pliosaurs.‭ ‬In fact,‭ ‬one former species of Macroplata,‭ ‬one of the best known rhomaleosaurids has been re-assigned to Hauffiosaurus,‭ (‬M.‭ ‬longirostris to H.‭ ‬longirostris‭)‬.‭ ‬Depending upon the species and specimen,‭ ‬Hauffiosaurus is known to have ranged from about three and a half meters to almost five meters in length.




Further reading
- Holotype of Plesiosaurus longirostris Blake and classification of the plesiosaurs. - Journal of Paleontology 14(5):451-467. - T. E. White - 1940.
-‭ ‬A cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision of the Plesiosauria‭ (‬Reptilia:‭ ‬Sauropterygia‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Acta Zoologica Fennica‭ ‬213:1-63.‭ ‬-‭ ‬F.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬O’Keefe‭ ‬-‭ ‬2001.
-‭ ‬New information on Hauffiosaurus‭ (‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria‭) ‬based on a new species from the Alum Shale Member‭ (‬Lower Toarcian:‭ ‬Lower Jurassic‭) ‬of Yorkshire,‭ ‬UK.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Palaeontology‭ ‬54‭(‬3‭)‬:547-571.‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬benson,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ketchum,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Noe‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬Gomez-Perez‭ ‬-‭ ‬2011.

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