Sachicasaurus

Sachicasaurus is an extinct genus of brachauchenine pliosaurid known from the Barremian of the Paja Formation, Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Colombian Eastern Ranges of the Andes. The type species is S. vitae.

Sachicasaurus
Temporal range: Barremian
~130–120 Ma
Holotype specimen of Sachicasaurus.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Pliosauridae
Genus: †Sachicasaurus
Species:
†S. vitae
Binomial name
†Sachicasaurus vitae
Páramo Fonseca et al., 2019

Etymology

The genus name Sachicasaurus refers to Sáchica, the village where the fossil was found, and saurus, meaning "lizard" in Greek.[1] The species epithet vitae, meaning "life" in Latin, was chosen because of the life in Sáchica the fossil find has sparked.[2]

Description
Size comparison

The holotype specimen, MP111209-1, is known from a near complete skull, and postcranial elements including a complete hindlimb and various vertebrae. Diagnostic features include a very short mandibular symphysis, reduced number of mandibular teeth (17 to 18 versus 25 to 40 in other pliosaurids),[3] slender teeth, among other features. The specimen has an estimated length of almost 10 metres (33 ft).[4] The specimen is interpreted as a sub-adult individual.[2]

Paleoenvironment

Sachicasaurus is one of four pliosaurids from the Paja Formation, others being Acostasaurus,[5] Stenorhynchosaurus,[6] and "Kronosaurus" boyacensis. It is also contemporaneous with the elasmosaurids Callawayasaurus and Leivanectes,[7] the marine turtle Desmatochelys padillai,[8] the sandowniid turtle Leyvachelys,[9] and the ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs Muiscasaurus and Platypterygius sachicarum.[10]

References
  1. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2018, p.225
  2. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2018, p.226
  3. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2018, p.232
  4. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2018, p.224
  5. Gómez Pérez & Noè, 2017
  6. Páramo et al., 2016
  7. Páramo Fonseca et al., 2019
  8. Cadena et al., 2015a
  9. Cadena et al., 2015b
  10. Maxwell et al., 2015

Bibliography
Sachicasaurus
Other paleofauna
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