Protoichthyosaurus

Pro-to-ik-fe-o-sor-us.

By Benjamin Gutierrez

Published on April 11, 2015

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Name

Protoichthyosaurus ‭(‬First Icthyosaurus‭)‬.

Phonetic

Pro-to-ik-fe-o-sor-us.

Named By

R.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Appleby‭ ‬-‭ ‬1979.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Ichthyosauria,‭ ‬Ichthyosauridae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

P.‭ ‬prostaxalis‭

Size

P.‭ ‬prostaxalis etimated at about‭ ‬2.5‭ ‬meters long.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬applebyi estimated at abuot‭ ‬2‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

England‭ ‬-‭ ‬Blue Lias Formation.

Time Period

Late Triassic/Early Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of a few individuals.

In Depth

Protoichthyosaurus is a genus of small ichthyosaur that lived during the early Jurassic,‭ ‬though possibly also in the Late Triassic.

-‭ ‬The affinities of Liassic and later ichthyosaurs.‭ ‬Palaeontology‭ ‬22‭(‬4‭)‬:921-946.‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Appleby‭ ‬-‭ ‬1979. -‭ ‬The taxonomic utility of forefin morphology in Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs:‭ ‬Protoichthyosaurus and Ichthyosaurus.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬37‭(‬5‭)‬:‭ ‬e1361433.‭ ‬-‭ ‬D.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Lomax,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Massare‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬T.‭ ‬Mistry‭ ‬-‭ ‬2017. -‭ ‬A second specimen of Protoichthyosaurus applebyi‭ (‬Reptilia:‭ ‬Ichthyosauria‭) ‬and additional information on the genus and species.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Paludicola.‭ ‬11‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬164‭–‬178.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Dean R.‭ ‬Lomax‭ & ‬Judy A.‭ ‬Massare‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

Protoichthyosaurus

In Depth

Further Reading