Stenorhynchosaurus

Sten-o-ryn-ko-sor-us.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Stenorhynchosaurus ‭(‬narrow snout lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Sten-o-ryn-ko-sor-us.

Named By

Mar�a E.‭ ‬P�ramo,‭ ‬Marcela G�mez-P�rez,‭ ‬Leslie F.‭ ‬No�,‭ ‬Fernando Etayo‭ ‬-‭ ‬2016.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Pliosauridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬munozi‭

Size

Holotype roughly about‭ ‬4.3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Colombia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Paja Formation.

Time Period

Barremian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Almost complete skull and post cranial skeleton.

In Depth

       Fossil remains of Stenorhynchosaurus were first discovered in‭ ‬2000,‭ ‬and later excavation of the fossil site between‭ ‬2004‭ ‬and‭ ‬2005‭ ‬revealed an almost complete skeleton.‭ ‬Also in‭ ‬2005,‭ ‬paleontologist Oliver Hempe came to the theory that this pliosaur possibly represented a species of the genus Brachauchenius.‭ ‬Later more detailed study however identified this pliosaur as a distinct genus,‭ ‬and hence Stenorhynchosaurus became established as the new name.

       Stenorhynchosaurus is noted for having a narrow snout,‭ ‬which is also the main inspiration for the name.‭ ‬At a little over four meters in length for the holotype individual,‭ ‬Stenorhynchosaurus was small when compared to some of the monster pliosaurs such as Pliosaurus,‭ ‬and was likely a hunter of smaller aquatic organisms such as fish.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Considerations on a Brachauchenius skeleton‭ (‬Pliosauroidea‭) ‬from the lower Paja Formation‭ (‬late Barremian‭) ‬of Villa de Leyva area‭ (‬Colombia‭)‬.‭ ‬Fossil Record‭ ‬-‭ ‬Mitteilungen aus dem Museum f�r Naturkunde in Berlin‭ ‬8‭ (‬1‭)‬:‭ ‬37-51.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Oliver Hampe‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005. -‭ ‬Stenorhynchosaurus munozi,‭ ‬gen.‭ ‬et sp.‭ ‬nov.‭ ‬a new pliosaurid from the Upper Barremian‭ (‬Lower Cretaceous‭) ‬of Villa de Leiva,‭ ‬Colombia,‭ ‬South America.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas,‭ ‬F�sicas y Naturales.‭ ‬40‭ (‬154‭)‬:‭ ‬84‭–‬103.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Mar�a E.‭ ‬P�ramo,‭ ‬Marcela G�mez-P�rez,‭ ‬Leslie F.‭ ‬No�,‭ ‬Fernando Etayo‭ ‬-‭ ‬2016. – A new specimen of Stenorhynchosaurus munozi P�ramo-Fonseca et al., 2016 (Plesiosauria, Pliosauridae), from the Barremian of Colombia: new morphological features and ontogenetic implications. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Volume 39, 2019 – Issue 4. – Mar�a E. P�ramo-Fonseca, Cristian D. Benavides-Cabra & Ingry E. Guti�rrez – 2019.

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