Kimmerosaurus

Kim-mer-oh-sore-us.
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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

Kimmerosaurus (Kimmeridge lizard).

Phonetic

Kim-mer-oh-sore-us.

Named By

Brown - 1981.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria, Plesiosauroidea, Cryptoclididae.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

K. langhami

Size

Uncertain due to incomplete fossil material.

Known locations

England, Dorset - Kimmeridge Clay.

Time Period

Kimmeridgian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Skull and cervical (neck) vertebrae.

In Depth

       Because nothing is known about Kimmerosaurus from below the neck vertebrae it is impossible to say exactly how the body of Kimmerosaurus looked. However another plesiosaur from the same formation called Colymbosaurus is known only from its post cranial skeleton. Together these two separate genera may in fact represent the same plesiosaur, but only a more complete specimen of either one could confirm this.

       As a member of the crptoclididae, Kimmerosaurus would have likely lived in a similar manner as others of the group including Cryptoclidus.

Further Reading

Further reading- The English Upper Jurassic Plesiosauroidea (Reptilia) and a review of the phylogeny and classification of the Plesiosauria. – Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 35(4):253-347. – D. S. Brown – 1981.

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