Ancient marine reptiles / edited by Jack M. Callaway, Elizabeth L. Nicholls.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Callaway, Jack M.

Nicholls, Elizabeth L., 1946-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marine reptiles, Fossil.

Marine animals, Fossil.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (549 p.)

Place of Publication:

San Diego : Academic Press, c1997.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Vertebrate evolution has led to the convergent appearance of many groups of originally terrestrial animals that now live in the sea. Among these groups are familiar mammals like whales, dolphins, and seals. There are also reptilian lineages (like plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, thalattosaurs, and others) that have become sea creatures. Most of these marine reptiles, often wrongly called ""dinosaurs"", are extinct. This edited book is devoted to these extinct groups of marine reptiles. These reptilian analogs represent useful models of the myriad adaptations that permit tetrapods to live

Contents:

Front Cover; Ancient Marine Reptiles; Copyright Page; Contents; Contributors; Preface; Foreword; Part I: Ichthyosauria; Introduction; Text; References; Chapter 1. The Paleobiogeography of Shastasaurus; Introduction; Shastasaurus neubigi N. Sp. from the German Muschelkalk; Systematic Paleontology; Description; Discussion; Paleobiogeography of Shastasaurus; Conclusions; Summary; References; Chapter 2. A New Look at Mixosaurus; Introduction; Species and Distribution; The Cranium; Appendicular Skeleton; Axial Skeleton; Conclusions; Summary; References; Chapter 3. A Transitional Ichthyosaur Fauna

IntroductionMaterials and Methods; Williston Lake; Material Collected; Discussion; Summary; References; Chapter 4. Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Tooth Implantation in Ichthyosaurs; Introduction; Materials and Methods; Terminology; Tooth Implantation and Replacement in Ichthyosaurs; Discussion; Summary; References; PART II: Sauropterygia; Introduction; Text; References; Chapter 5. Paleobiogeography of Middle Triassic Sauropterygia in Central and Western Europe; Introduction; Sauropterygia from the Lower Anisian of the Vicentinian Alps

Comparison with Faunal Elements from the Lower Muschelkalk, Including ""Proneusticosaurus"" Silesiacus VolzTaxonomic Conclusions; A Comparison of Sauropterygia in the Germanic and Alpine Triassic; Summary and Conclusions; References; Chapter 6. Morphological and Taxonomic Clarification of the Genus Plesiosaurus; Introduction; Systematic Paleontology; Description; Discussion; Summary; References; Chapter 7. Comparative Cranial Anatomy of Two North American Cretaceous Plesiosaurs; Introduction; Comparison of Libonectes and Dolichorhynchops

Significance of the Similarities between Libonectes and DolichorhynchopsConclusions; Summary; References; PART III Testudines; Introduction; Text; References; Chapter 8. Distribution and Diversity of Cretaceous Chelonioids; Introduction; Classification of the Cretaceous Chelonioids; Discussion; Conclusion; Summary; References; Chapter 9. Desmatochelys lowi, a Marine Turtle from the Upper Cretaceous; Introduction; Age of the Material; Previous Work; Systematic Paleontology; Description; Discussion; Age and Distribution; Summary; References

Chapter 10. The Paleogeography of Marine and Coastal Turtles of the North Atlantic and Trans-Saharan RegionsIntroduction; Marine Turtles of the Desmatochelyidae, Osteopygidae, Cheloniidae, and Dermochelyidae; Marine Turtles of the Pelomedusidae; Conclusions; Summary; References; PART IV: Mosasauridae; Introduction; Text; References; Chapter 11. A Phylogenetic Revision of North American and Adriatic Mosasauroidea; Introduction; Polarity Decisions; Phylogenetic Analysis; Consensus Trees and Preferred Hypothesis of Relationships; Character Analysis; Conclusions; Revised Phylogeny; Summary

References

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-281-05412-7

9786611054120

0-08-052721-3

OCLC:

476102545