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Johan Lindgren

Johan Lindgren

Senior lecturer

Johan Lindgren

New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs

Author

  • R. Araujo
  • M. J. Polcyn
  • Johan Lindgren
  • L. L. Jacobs
  • A. S. Schulp
  • O. Mateus
  • A. Olimpio Goncalves
  • M-L. Morais

Summary, in English

New elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens are described from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola. Phylogenetic analyses reconstruct the Angolan taxon as an aristonectine elasmosaurid and the sister taxon of an unnamed form of similar age from New Zealand. Comparisons also indicate a close relationship with an unnamed form previously described from Patagonia. All of these specimens exhibit an ostensibly osteologically immature external morphology, but histological analysis of the Angolan material suggests an adult with paedomorphic traits. By extension, the similarity of the Angolan, New Zealand and Patagonian material indicates that these specimens represent a widespread paedomorphic yet unnamed taxon.

Department/s

  • Lithosphere and Biosphere Science

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

93-108

Publication/Series

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences-Geologie en Mijnbouw

Volume

94

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

VEENMAN DRUKKERS

Topic

  • Geology

Keywords

  • Paedomorphism
  • plesiosaurs
  • marine reptiles
  • Africa
  • Cretaceous
  • histology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0016-7746