Largocephalosaurus
| Largocephalosaurus Temporal range: Middle Triassic | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | Diapsida |
| Family: | Saurosphargidae |
| Genus: | Largocephalosaurus Cheng et al., 2012 |
| Species | |
| |
Largocephalosaurus is an extinct genus of non-sauropterygian marine diapsid reptile which existed in what is now China during the Middle Triassic epoch. The type species is L. polycarpon. It was initially interpreted as an eosauropterygian sauropterygian closely related to European pachypleurosaurs and nothosaurids.[1] Li et al. (2014) described additional specimens, which they assigned to a new species L. qianensis; the authors reinterpreted Largocephalosaurus as a member of the family Saurosphargidae and a close relative of Saurosphargis and Sinosaurosphargis. According to Li et al., saurosphargids did not belong to Sauropterygia, although they were close relatives of sauropterygians.[2]
References
- ↑ Long Cheng, Xiaohong Chen, Xiongwei Zeng and Yongjian Cai (2012). "A new eosauropterygian (Diapsida: Sauropterygia) from the Middle Triassic of Luoping, Yunnan Province". Journal of Earth Science 23 (1): 33–40. doi:10.1007/s12583-012-0231-z.
- ↑ Chun Li, Da-Yong Jiang, Long Cheng, Xiao-Chun Wu and Olivier Rieppel (2014). "A new species of Largocephalosaurus (Diapsida: Saurosphargidae), with implications for the morphological diversity and phylogeny of the group". Geological Magazine 151 (1): 100–120. doi:10.1017/S001675681300023X.