Ophthalmothule

Of-fal-mo-fhu-le.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Ophthalmothule ‭(‬Eye of the north‭)‬.

Phonetic

Of-fal-mo-fhu-le.

Named By

Aubrey Jane Roberts,‭ ‬Patrick S.‭ ‬Druckenmiller,‭ ‬Benoit Cordonnier,‭ ‬Lene L.‭ ‬Delsett‭ & ‬J�rn H.‭ ‬Hurum‭ ‬-‭ ‬2020.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Cryptoclididae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

O.‭ ‬cryostea‭ (‬type‭)‬

Size

Holotype roughly estimated at about‭ ‬4.7‭ ‬to‭ ‬4.8‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Spitsbergen‭ ‬-‭ ‬Agardhfjellet Formation.

Time Period

Tithonian of the Jurassic/Berriasian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Complete skull,‭ ‬partial mandible,‭ ‬and most of the post cranial skeleton still articulated.

In Depth

       Ophthalmothule is a genus of cryptoclidid plesiosaur known to have lived towards the end of the Jurassic,‭ ‬possibly early Cretaceous.‭ ‬Ophthalmothule is noted‭ ‬to have very‭ ‬large eye sockets,‭ ‬something which obviously suggests the presence of very large eyes.‭ ‬Large eyes would be able to trap more light,‭ ‬even at the lower murkier depths,‭ ‬which could suggest that Ophthalmothule was a plesiosaur that hunted in deep water,‭ ‬in depths where sunlight did not reach so well.‭ ‬The large eyes of Ophthalmothule were inspiration for the name which means‭ ‘‬eye of the north‭’‬.‭ ‬The north‭ (‬thule‭) ‬part of the name is in‭ ‬reference to the location of Spitsbergen where the holotype individual was found.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new plesiosaurian from the Jurassic–Cretaceous transitional interval of the Slottsm�ya Member‭ (‬Volgian‭)‬,‭ ‬with insights into the cranial anatomy of cryptoclidids using computed tomography.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PeerJ.‭ ‬8:‭ ‬e8652.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Aubrey Jane Roberts,‭ ‬Patrick S.‭ ‬Druckenmiller,‭ ‬Benoit Cordonnier,‭ ‬Lene L.‭ ‬Delsett‭ & ‬J�rn H.‭ ‬Hurum‭ ‬-‭ ‬2020.

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