The first non-aristonectine elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia; Plesiosauria) cranial material from Antarctica: New data on the evolution of the elasmosaurid basicranium and palate
O’Gorman, J.P., Coria, R.A., Reguero, M., Santillana, S., Mörs, T., Cárdenas, M.
Summarized by Sarah Sheffield
What data were used?
New fossil material from Vega Island in Antarctica
Methods
The fossils were prepared using tools like a jackhammer to remove the fossils from surrounding rock. The fossils were then measured using digital calipers.
Results
Rare fossil material recently found from Vega Island in Antarctica shed light on the evolutionary relationships of extinct reptiles, the plesiosaurs. While a lot of plesiosaur material has been found in the past in Antarctica, this particular field study turned up skull material, which is quite rare! The skull material preserved multiple features that allowed researchers to better understand the evolutionary relationships between different groups of plesiosaurs. Specifically, features of the palate in the skull, has features that link it to other groups of plesiosaurs, the elasmosaurids.
Why is this study important?
This study is important for many reasons! First, it described very rarely preserved parts of the body (namely, the skull), which preserves a ton of information about its evolutionary origins. Second, Antarctica remains very unexplored for fossils; it is very expensive and difficult to travel and do field work in this part of the world. This means that with every new fossil find, our knowledge of the past history of Antarctica grows tremendously!
The big picture
New fossils from Antarctica provide new information concerning the biodiversity and evolutionary relationships of plesiosaurs from the Cretaceous. As Antarctica remains fairly unexplored for fossils, any new fossil finds contribute greatly to our knowledge of the history of the continent.
Citation
O’Gorman, J.P., Coria, R.A., Reguero, M., Santillana, S., 2017, The first non-aristonectine elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia; Plesiosauria) cranial material from Antarctica: New data on the evolution of the elasmosaurid basicranium and palate: Cretaceous Research, v. 89, p. 248-263, doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2018.03.013
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