Djupedalia

D-yupe-dah-le-ah.
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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

Djupedalia.

Phonetic

D-yupe-dah-le-ah.

Named By

E.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Knutsen,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Druckenmiller‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Hurum‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Cryptoclididae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

D.‭ ‬engeri‭

Size

Roughly estimated about‭ ‬6‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Svalbard,‭ ‬Spitsbergen‭ ‬-‭ ‬Agardhfjellet Formation,‭ ‬Slottsm�ya Member.

Time Period

Tithonian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of a juvenile.

In Depth

       Known from the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard,‭ ‬Djupedalia seems to have been a medium sized cryptoclided plesiosaur of the late Jurassic.‭ ‬The partial fossil remains of Djupedalia indicate that that the holotype was a juvenile at the time of death and that it was very similar to genera such as Muraenosaurus and Kimmerosaurus.‭ ‬Djupedalia is named after �ystein Djupedal,‭ ‬who helped to fund the fossil dig.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new plesiosauroid‭ (‬Reptilia:‭ ‬Sauropterygia‭) ‬from the Agardhfjellet Formation‭ (‬Middle Volgian‭) ‬of central Spitsbergen,‭ ‬Norway.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Norwegian Journal of Geology‭ ‬92:213-234.‭ ‬-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Knutsen,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Druckenmiller‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Hurum‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT