| Mollesaurus Temporal range: Middle Jurassic, 171.6–170 Ma |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Ichthyosauria |
| Family: | †Ophthalmosauridae |
| Genus: | †Mollesaurus Fernández, 1999 |
| Species: | †M. periallus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mollesaurus periallus Fernández, 1999 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Ophthalmosaurus periallus Maisch & Matzke, 2000 |
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Mollesaurus is an extinct genus of large ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur known from northwestern Patagonia of Argentina.[1]
Mollesaurus is known from the holotype MOZ 2282 V, articulated partial skeleton which preserved partial skull and most of the vertebral column. It was collected in the Chacaico Sur locality from the Emileia giebeli ammonoid zone of the Los Molles Formation, Cuyo Group, dating to the early Bajocian stage of the Middle Jurassic, about 171.6-170 million years ago. Mollesaurus, alongside with Chacaicosaurus cayi which was found at the same locality, are the only diagnostic ichthyosaur specimens from the Aalenian-Bathonian interval. It was found near Zapala city of the Neuquén Basin.[1]
Maisch and Matzke (2000) regarded Mollesaurus to be a species of Ophthalmosaurus.[2] However, all recent cladistic analyses found that Mollesaurus is a valid genus of ophthalmosaurid.[3][4] Patrick S. Druckenmiller and Erin E. Maxwell (2010) found it to be the basalmost member of the ophthalmosaurid lineage that include Brachypterygius, Caypullisaurus and Platypterygius (but don't include Ophthalmosaurus).[3]
Mollesaurus was named by Marta S. Fernández in 1999 and the type species is Mollesaurus periallus. The generic name is derived from the name of the Los Molles Formation, where the holotype was collected, and sauros, Greek for "lizard". The specific name is derived from periallos, Greek for "before all others", in reference to the fact that it is the oldest ophthalmosaurid and one of the oldest thunnosaurs.[1]