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Key Points

European scientists have identified a new plesiosaur species from a 1978 fossil found in Germany. The 3.2-meter specimen represents the oldest known plesiosaur in the Holzmaden region. Detailed analysis revealed unique skeletal features overlooked in prior studies. The discovery enhances understanding of Jurassic marine ecosystems in Europe.

Key Points: New Jurassic Plesiosaur Species Found in Germany Fossil Discovery

  • 3.2m fossil reveals oldest plesiosaur in Holzmaden region
  • Study corrects incomplete 1978 classification with new osteological details
  • Species exhibits unique evolutionary traits unaffected by growth stages
  • Discovery enriches knowledge of Jurassic marine biodiversity in Posidonia shale
2 min read

Fossils of unexplored marine lizards species from Jurassic era discovered in Germany

Scientists identify a previously unknown plesiosaur species from 1978 Holzmaden fossils, reshaping Jurassic marine reptile understanding.

"This species is the oldest known plesiosaur from Holzmaden, expanding our understanding of their diversity. – PeerJ Study"

Berlin, August 5

European scientists, while studying the fossils of a marine lizard found back in 1978 in the city of Holzmaden in southern Germany, discovered that it belongs to a new, previously unexplored species of plesiosaurs. This was reported on August 4 in an article in the scientific journal PeerJ.

"We present the first detailed osteological description of the species, rethinking some osteological features ... and evaluating its taxonomic significance and phylogenetic relationship. We show that this species of plesiosaur has an unusual combination of features, the appearance of which is not significantly affected by ontogenetic development," the text of the scientific article said.

It is noted that earlier studies of this species were brief and incomplete, as a result of which no differences were found with the already discovered species of these marine lizards.

The study said that the studied specimen, 3.2 m long, is the oldest representative of plesiosaurs from this region of Europe.

"[This species] is the oldest known specimen of a plesiosaur from the Holzmaden area, expanding our understanding of plesiosaur diversity, but also contributing to broader knowledge about the biodiversity present in the Posidonium shale, which is still not fully known," the study concluded.

Earlier, on July 26, scientists in the United States discovered a new species of dinosaur, Enigmacursor, the size of a Labrador. The dinosaur was 64 cm tall and 180 cm long. A representative of this species will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London for the first time since 2014. (ANI/ Izvestia)

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
3.2 meters long! Imagine swimming in the ocean with these creatures around 😱 Makes me wonder what other undiscovered species might be waiting in our Indian Ocean sediments. Our marine archaeology needs more funding!
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Rohit P
While this is exciting, I wish Indian media would cover our own paleontological discoveries with same enthusiasm. Remember the Rajasaurus discovery in Gujarat? Barely got any attention compared to Western finds.
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Kavya N
Jurassic Park vibes! 🦖 But seriously, this shows how much we still don't know about Earth's history. Makes me want to visit the Birbal Sahni Institute in Lucknow to see our fossil collections.
D
David E
Interesting how they found this in 1978 but only now realizing it's a new species. Makes you wonder how many museum specimens worldwide might be misclassified. Science keeps evolving!
S
Shreya B
The Posidonium shale must be a goldmine for paleontologists! Reminds me of our own fossil-rich areas near the Narmada valley. Maybe we'll find our own unique plesiosaur species someday 🤞

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