The long and icy journey of Mesozoic marine reptile vertebrae from northern Germany, their provenance and internal structures
- Author(s)
- Marco Schade, André Deutschmann, Christian Foth, Carina Paetzel, Tobias Püttmann, Michael Kenzler, Sebastian Stumpf
- Abstract
Mesozoic vertebrate fossils within glacially transported deposits of Pleistocene age are rare. Here, we examine five isolated, strongly eroded vertebrae of Mesozoic marine reptiles, most probably plesiosaurs, from glacigenic sediments of northern Ger-many. In addition, three consecutive plesiosaur vertebrae, having already been described in previous publications, are briefly reconsidered. For one heavily eroded specimen, litho-and biostratigraphical analyses of associated sediment, including thin sectioning and calcareous nannofossil investigations, confirm a mid-Cretaceous age. The internal morphology of the five isolated vertebrae in focus, investigated with the help of microCT, reveals the presence of (neuro)vascular cavities within the respective centra. Unexpectedly, we found diverse internal cavity patterns which have only one feature in common: a medial pair of foramina on the floor of the neural canal that is connected to deep-reaching canals.
- Organisation(s)
- Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- University of Greifswald, Université de Fribourg, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Geological Survey of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Journal
- Palaeontologia Electronica
- Volume
- 27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.26879/1313
- Publication date
- 2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Palaeontology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/31e561c7-85d6-4fd5-a12a-4f137e98a657