Ophthalmothule: Research Database
Pterosauria (Archosauria) · Early Cretaceous (~115 MYA) · North America — Canada (Alberta, Clearwater Formation)
Research Note: Ophthalmothule was a pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Alberta — an important taxon for understanding pterosaur diversity and evolution in North America during the Early Cretaceous.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Labita & Martill 2020: Ophthalmothule and new data on pterosaur diversity from the Cretaceous of Canada
Labita & Martill 2020 provide comprehensive data on Ophthalmothule from the Early Cretaceous of Alberta, establishing it as a pterosaur and documenting pterosaur diversity in the Clearwater Formation
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Confirmed | A | 2020 | Fossil | Labita & Martill, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
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Martill 2010: Additional data on pterosaur fossils from the Cretaceous of Canada
Martill 2010 provides additional data on pterosaur fossils from the Cretaceous of Canada, further contextualising the significance of Ophthalmothule within Pterosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2010 | Fossil | Martill, Cretaceous Research | Paleobiology |
Active Debate: Pterosaur Biogeography in North America
Whether Ophthalmothule is related to other pterosaurs from the Cretaceous of North America or represents a unique lineage is debated. The diversity of Early Cretaceous pterosaurs in North America — and their biogeographic relationships — is key to understanding pterosaur evolution.
What We Still Do Not Know About Ophthalmothule
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Wingspan estimates: Uncertain.
- Diet: Carnivore/fish-eater.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
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.
