Abstract
An articulated and partially preserved skeleton of an ichthyosaur was found in the Upper Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian) Katrol Formation exposed at a site south of the village Lodai in Kachchh district, Gujarat (western India). Here we present a detailed description and inferred taxonomic relationship of the specimen. The present study revealed that the articulated skeleton belongs to the family Ophthalmosauridae. The new discovery from India further improves the depauperate fossil record of ichthyosaurs from the former Gondwanan continents. Based on the preserved length of the axial skeleton and anterior part of the snout and taking into account the missing parts of the skull and postflexural region, it is suggested that the specimen may represent an adult possibly reaching a length of 5.0–5.5 m. The widespread occurrence of ophthalmosaurids in the Upper Jurassic deposits of western Tethys, Madagascar, South America and India points to possible faunal exchanges between the western Tethys and Gondwanan continents through a southern seaway.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0185851 |
| Journal | PLoS One |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01-10-2017 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
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Discovery of the first ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of India : Implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography. / Prasad, Guntupalli V.R.; Pandey, Dhirendra K.; Alberti, Matthias; Fürsich, Franz T.; Thakkar, Mahesh G.; Chauhan, Gaurav D.
In: PLoS One, Vol. 12, No. 10, e0185851, 01.10.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Discovery of the first ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of India
T2 - Implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography
AU - Prasad, Guntupalli V.R.
AU - Pandey, Dhirendra K.
AU - Alberti, Matthias
AU - Fürsich, Franz T.
AU - Thakkar, Mahesh G.
AU - Chauhan, Gaurav D.
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - An articulated and partially preserved skeleton of an ichthyosaur was found in the Upper Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian) Katrol Formation exposed at a site south of the village Lodai in Kachchh district, Gujarat (western India). Here we present a detailed description and inferred taxonomic relationship of the specimen. The present study revealed that the articulated skeleton belongs to the family Ophthalmosauridae. The new discovery from India further improves the depauperate fossil record of ichthyosaurs from the former Gondwanan continents. Based on the preserved length of the axial skeleton and anterior part of the snout and taking into account the missing parts of the skull and postflexural region, it is suggested that the specimen may represent an adult possibly reaching a length of 5.0–5.5 m. The widespread occurrence of ophthalmosaurids in the Upper Jurassic deposits of western Tethys, Madagascar, South America and India points to possible faunal exchanges between the western Tethys and Gondwanan continents through a southern seaway.
AB - An articulated and partially preserved skeleton of an ichthyosaur was found in the Upper Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian) Katrol Formation exposed at a site south of the village Lodai in Kachchh district, Gujarat (western India). Here we present a detailed description and inferred taxonomic relationship of the specimen. The present study revealed that the articulated skeleton belongs to the family Ophthalmosauridae. The new discovery from India further improves the depauperate fossil record of ichthyosaurs from the former Gondwanan continents. Based on the preserved length of the axial skeleton and anterior part of the snout and taking into account the missing parts of the skull and postflexural region, it is suggested that the specimen may represent an adult possibly reaching a length of 5.0–5.5 m. The widespread occurrence of ophthalmosaurids in the Upper Jurassic deposits of western Tethys, Madagascar, South America and India points to possible faunal exchanges between the western Tethys and Gondwanan continents through a southern seaway.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85032218849&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0185851
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0185851
M3 - Article
VL - 12
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 10
M1 - e0185851
ER -