Cardiocorax

Kar-de-o-kor-ax.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Cardiocorax ‭(‬Heart coracoid‭)‬.

Phonetic

Kar-de-o-kor-ax.

Named By

R.‭ ‬Ara�jo,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Polcyn,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Schulp,‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Mateus,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Jacobs,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Ol�mpio Gon�alves‭ & ‬M.-L.‭ ‬Morais‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Elasmosauridae.

Diet

Piscivore‭?

Species

C.‭ ‬mukulu‭

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

Angola‭ ‬-‭ ‬Mocuio Formation.

Time Period

Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of two individuals,‭ ‬mostly of the pelvic girdle,‭ ‬limbs and some vertebrae.

In Depth

       Cardiocorax is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that lived during the latest stage of the Cretaceous.‭ ‬The fenestra‭ (‬opening‭) ‬between the coracoid bones is heart-shaped,‭ ‬and is the inspiration for the name which means‭ ‘‬heart coracoid‭’‬.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new elasmosaurid from the early Maastrichtian of Angola and the implications of girdle morphology on swimming style in plesiosaurs.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Netherlands Journal of Geosciences‭ ‬-‭ ‬Geologie en Mijnbouw‭ ‬94‭(‬1‭)‬:109-120.‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Ara�jo,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Polcyn,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Schulp,‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Mateus,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Jacobs,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Ol�mpio Gon�alves‭ & ‬M.-L.‭ ‬Morais‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015. – The cranial anatomy and relationships of Cardiocorax mukulu (Plesiosauria: Elasmosauridae) from Bentiaba, Angola. – PLOS ONE. 16 (8): e0255773. – Miguel P. Marx, Oct�vio Mateus, Michael J. Polcyn, Anne S. Schulp, A. Ol�mpio Gon�alves & Louis L. Jacobs – 2021.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT