Dead, discovered, copied and forgotten: history and description of the first discovered ichthyosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Italy

Serafini, Giovanni; Maxwell, Erin E.; Cobianchi, Miriam; Borghi, Luca; Papazzoni, Cesare Andrea; Roghi, Guido; Giusberti, Luca

doi:10.3301/ijg.2023.07

Cited by 4 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Except for moderate axial deformations and lateral abrasions by weathering, both vertebral elements (together with the remaining plesiosaurian axial material from Cesuna; [ 35 ]) are in a good state of preservation, being three-dimensional and almost fully non-eroded. This type of preservation is not common for the RAV taphonomic regime; however, it has also been reported in an ichthyosaur rostrum fragment [ 53 , 83 ] from the uppermost unit of the RAV of the Lessini Mountains. Subparallel scratches can be observed on the right dorsal edge of MGP-PD 6752 centrum, possibly representing traces of a shark bite.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Historically attributed to the Tithonian beds of the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (i.e. RAS; see [ 28 , 53 ]). Here considered to be middle-upper Oxfordian (see below).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2–3) MGP-PD 6761 and MGP-PD 6572, two isolated vertebrae from Cesuna (Asiago Plateau, Vicenza province; Fig 1 ) originally ascribed by De Zigno [ 27 ] along with other eight elements (vertebrae and neural arches) to a plesiosaurian (“Plesiosaurus italicus”, nomen in schedis ; see also [ 53 ]). MGP-PD 6572 was recognized by Cau & Fanti [ 36 ] to be part of a chimerical association of crocodylomorph centrum and plesiosaurian neural arch.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases

Serafini,

Foffa,

Young

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Despite their extremely rare and fragmentary record, aquatic crocodylomorphs from the Middle to Upper Jurassic (Bajocian-Tithonian) Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (RAV) of northeastern Italy have sparked interest since the late 18th century. Among marine reptiles, Thalattosuchia is by far one of the best represented groups from the RAV units, especially in the Middle Jurassic. Although some specimens have been the subject of multiple studies in recent times, most of them still lack precise stratigraphic assignment and taphonomic assessment, while others remain undescribed. Here we provide a comprehensive revision of the thalattosuchian record from the RAV, alongside the most up-to-date age determination, by means of calcareous nannofossils, when available. Three new metriorhynchoid specimens are described for the first time from the Middle Jurassic of Asiago Plateau (Vicenza province). While the taphonomy of the newly described specimens hampers any taxonomic attribution below superfamily/family level, all three were confidently assigned to a precise interval between the upper Bajocian and the upper Bathonian. This revised record has major paleobiogeographical implications: the new specimens confirm an early origin and distribution of Metriorhynchoidea in the Tethys area and suggest a fast colonization of the open-ocean environment since the upper Bajocian.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Historically attributed to the Tithonian beds of the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (i.e. RAS; see [ 28 , 53 ]). Here considered to be middle-upper Oxfordian (see below).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases

Serafini,

Foffa,

Young

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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“…Taking into account the position from the jaw hinge, the mesial‐most tooth will experience the least pressure, whereas the distal‐most tooth will experience the most (D'Amore et al, 2019). The mesial pseudoalveoli seen in the premaxillae of two specimens of T. trigonodon (as well as an incomplete Late Jurassic ophthalmosaurid; Serafini et al, 2023) may show bone growth as an adaptation to the high lateral/labial forces of prey capture in this region, possibly similar in nature to that of the physeteroid cetacean Acrophyseter (Lambert et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Craniodental ecomorphology of the large Jurassic ichthyosaurian Temnodontosaurus

Bennion,

Maxwell,

Lambert

et al. 2023

Journal of Anatomy

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Marine amniotes have played many crucial roles in ocean ecosystems since the Triassic, including predation at the highest trophic levels. One genus often placed into this guild is the large Early Jurassic neoichthyosaurian Temnodontosaurus, the only post‐Triassic ichthyosaurian known with teeth which bear a distinct cutting edge or carina. This taxonomically problematic genus is currently composed of seven species which show a wide variety of skull and tooth morphologies. Here we assess the craniodental disparity in Temnodontosaurus using a series of functionally informative traits. We describe the range of tooth morphologies in the genus in detail, including the first examples of serrated carinae in ichthyosaurians. These consist of false denticles created by the interaction of enamel ridgelets with the carinal keel, as well as possible cryptic true denticles only visible using scanning electron microscopy. We also find evidence for heterodonty in the species T. platyodon, with unicarinate mesial teeth likely playing a role in prey capture and labiolingually compressed, bicarinate distal teeth likely involved in prey processing. This type of heterodonty appears to be convergent with a series of other marine amniotes including early cetaceans. Overall, the species currently referred to as the genus Temnodontosaurus show a range of craniodental configurations allowing prey to be captured and processed in different ways – for example, T. eurycephalus has a deep snout and relatively small bicarinate teeth likely specialised for increased wound infliction and grip‐and‐tear feeding, whereas T. platyodon has a more elongate yet robust snout and larger teeth and may be more adapted for grip‐and‐shear feeding. These results suggest the existence of niche partitioning at higher trophic levels in Early Jurassic ichthyosaurians and have implications for future work on the taxonomy of this wastebasket genus, as well as for research into the ecology of other extinct megapredatory marine tetrapods.

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“…From the most complete vertebrae (SABAP-BO-22.0002, SABAP-BO-22.0003), the diameter of the centra can be calculated (assuming the centrum to be circular), but, without the complete bone, this measure can only be approximated to be the centrum width/height. A high ratio between CH and CL in the anterior tailstock (≥ 3.0) is a character that had been reported among selected ophthalmosaurids and sometimes even used to discriminate ophthalmosaurid taxa (McGowan and Motani 2003;Massare et al 2006;Maxwell 2010;Paparella et al 2017;Serafini et al 2020;Vakil et al 2021); however it is not considered diagnostic above species level. The ichthyosaur vertebrae from Castagneto di Pavullo are higher than they are long (CH/CL 2.9 for SABAP-BO-22.0002; Table 2); however, due to the lack of positional information for the preserved vertebrae within the column, the ratio has no diagnostic value.…”

Section: Taxonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Not Entirely Ichthyosaur: A Mysterious Lamniform and Ichthyopterygian-Fall Association From the Abyssal Upper Cretaceous of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

SERAFINI,

AMALFITANO,

DANISE

et al. 2023

Palaios

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Axial remains of a large ichthyosaur and a medium-sized anacoracid shark from the deep-water sediments of the Cenomanian of the Northern Apennines (Northern Italy) are described in detail. The specimens were found closely associated (less than 0.3 m apart), and offer an invaluable window into the taphonomy and dead-fall stages of pelagic vertebrates in a Mesozoic abyssal plain. The anacoracid shark remains, initially misinterpreted as an ichthyosaur, consist of eight articulated vertebrae embedded in a block of dark arenaceous matrix, and represent the first occurrence of an articulated shark from the Northern Apennines. The ichthyosaur remains consist of seven discoidal vertebrae and several unidentified fragments. Due to the absence of diagnostic skeletal elements, both specimens are assigned only at higher taxonomic levels. The two fossils, which come from the same outcrop and possibly from the same stratigraphic horizon, share a common taphonomic history, in terms of both their preservation and diagenesis. Mineralogy of the matrices of both is dominated by manganese micro-nodules, consistent with the deposition of polymetallic nodules in bathyal-abyssal settings. Biostratinomic processes that impacted the two specimens also provide insight on the development of Mesozoic marine vertebrate-falls in the deep-sea. Localized pyrite framboids inside the bone spongiosa are possible evidence of the sulfophilic stage (microbially mediated sulfur mobilization during lipid decay) in the ichthyosaur fall. Burrows assigned to Taenidium on the surface of the shark block, interpreted as worm-like feeding burrows or arthropod locomotion and feeding trails, might represent evidence of the enrichment opportunistic stage. Although intriguing, we have no evidence to support the hypothesis that this peculiar association of two pelagic predators is due to ecological interaction between the two animals.

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Dead, discovered, copied and forgotten: history and description of the first discovered ichthyosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Italy

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases

Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases

Craniodental ecomorphology of the large Jurassic ichthyosaurian Temnodontosaurus

Not Entirely Ichthyosaur: A Mysterious Lamniform and Ichthyopterygian-Fall Association From the Abyssal Upper Cretaceous of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

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