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Johan Lindgren

Johan Lindgren

Senior lecturer

Johan Lindgren

A partial plesiosaurian braincase from the Upper Cretaceous of Sweden

Author

  • Sven Sachs
  • Johan Lindgren
  • Mikael Siversson

Summary, in English

A partial exoccipital-opisthotic from the uppermost lower Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Åsen locality, Kristianstad Basin, southernmost Sweden, is described and illustrated. The fossil represents the first braincase element of a plesiosaur found in Sweden. It includes the chamber for the ampulla and utriculus, openings for the caudal vertical and horizontal semicircular canals, and four foramina for cranial nerves. The incomplete braincase can be referred to an elasmosaurid plesiosaur, and closely resembles the exoccipital-opisthotic of Libonectes morgani and a referred specimen of Aristonectes parvidens. Although we discuss putative postcranial material of the elasmosaurid subfamily Aristonectinae in the uppermost lower Campanian of southernmost Sweden, the exoccipital-opisthotic from Åsen most likely belongs to a juvenile individual of a non-aristonectine elasmosaur.

Department/s

  • Lithosphere and Biosphere Science
  • Department of Geology

Publishing year

2016

Language

English

Pages

293-301

Publication/Series

Geological Society Special Publication

Volume

434

Issue

1

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

Geological Society of London

Topic

  • Geology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 03058719