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The first specimen of the Middle Triassic Phalarodon atavus (Ichthyosauria: Mixosauridae) from South China,showing postcranial anatomy and peri‐Tethyan distribution |
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| Authors: | Jun Liu Ryosuke Motani Da‐Yong Jiang Shi‐Xue Hu Jonathan C Aitchison Olivier Rieppel Michael J Benton Qi‐Yue Zhang Chang‐Yong Zhou |
| Institution: | 1. Chengdu Center, China Geological Survey, , Chengdu, 610081 China;2. School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, , Sydney, NSW, 2006 Australia;3. Department of Geology, University of California, , Davis, CA, 95616‐8605 USA;4. Department of Geology and Geological Museum, Peking University, , Beijing, 100871 China;5. Department of Geology, The Field Museum, , Chicago, IL, 60605‐2496 USA;6. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, , Bristol, BS8 1RJ UK |
| Abstract: | Phalarodon atavus from the Germanic Muschelkalk Basin was previously represented only by cranial elements. Here we report a nearly complete and articulated specimen of P. atavus from the Middle Triassic Luoping Biota, Yunnan, South China. This is the first specimen of P. atavus from outside the Germanic Basin. This discovery demonstrates a peri‐Tethyan distribution of P. atavus. The new specimen is also the first one preserving the postcranial anatomy of this species, providing the opportunity to evaluate its sustained swimming ability. Inferences made on its functional morphology suggest that this species was probably adapted for active foraging. Tooth crown morphology suggests that P. atavus may have preferred externally soft prey. |
| Keywords: | ontogeny functional morphology feeding guild sustained swimming foraging mode |