Pistosaurus
Extinct genus of reptiles / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pistosaurus (pistos in Greek meaning 'credible' and sauros 'lizard'[1]) is an extinct genus of aquatic sauropterygian reptile closely related to plesiosaurs. Fossils have been found in France and Germany, and date to the Middle Triassic. It contains a single species, Pistosaurus longaevus. Pistosaurus is known as the oldest "subaquatic flying" reptile on earth.
Pistosaurus | |
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Fossil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
Family: | †Pistosauridae Zittel, 1887 |
Genus: | †Pistosaurus Meyer, 1839 |
Type species | |
†Pistosaurus longaevus Meyer, 1839 |
The skull of Pistosaurus generally resembles that of other Triassic sauropterygians. However, there are several synapomorphies that make Pistosaurus distinguished: the long, slender, snout; the possession of splint-like nasals that are excluded from the external naris; and the posterior extension of the premaxilla to the frontals.[2] Based on synapomorphies such as the small nasals size and the presence of interpterygoid vacuity, Pistosaurus is more closely related to Plesiosauria than to Nothosaurus.[2]
Pistosaurus is often mistaken with Nothosaurus and Plesiosauria. Nothosaurus belongs to the clade Nothosauroidea from the middle Triassic (approximately 199-251 million years ago); while Pistosaurus belongs to stem group Plesiosauria; and both Pistosaurus and Plesiosauria belongs to clade Pistosauroidea from Triassic. Both Nothosauroidea and Pistosauroidea belong to Sauropterygia.[2]