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Atopodentatus unicus

Reptilia

Taxonomy
Atopodentatus unicus was named by Cheng et al. (2014). Its type specimen is WIGM SPC V 1107, a partial skeleton (a nearly complete skeleton with the left lateral side of the skull poorly preserved), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Dawazi, upper vertebrate horizon (=Member 2), Luoping County, which is in a Pelsonian shallow subtidal lime mudstone in the Guanling Formation of China. It is the type species of Atopodentatus.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2014Atopodentatus unicus Cheng et al. figs. 1-3

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
Diapsida()
suborderSauropterygia
genusAtopodentatus
speciesunicus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Atopodentatus unicus Cheng et al. 2014
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
L. Cheng et al. 2014A medium-sized marine reptile differing from all other diapsid reptiles in the following combination of derived characters: high and laterally compressed skull small, about 1/23 of total body length, which is 275 cm; pleurodont dentition fence- or comb-like, consisting of more than 175 and 190 delicate teeth in each ramus of upper and lower jaws, respectively; tooth crown needle-like distally and blade-like basally; maxilla and premaxilla forming a vertical rostrum; prefrontal–postfrontal contact excluding frontal from orbit; postfrontal entering supratemporal fenestra; ventrally opening infratemporal fenestra small; massive mandible with a shovel-headed anterior end; coronoid process considerably posterior in position, approaching jaw joint; stout retroarticular process with a deep fossa dorsally; 36 presacral, two sacral, and 47 caudal vertebrae; margins of flat scapula strongly convex anteriorly and very concave posteriorly; clavicle with a well-developed posterolateral process; flat coracoid oval in outline, with a curved ridge at anterior centre; ischium deeply notched anteriorly; humerus much larger than femur but manus smaller than pes; possibly two carpals and two tarsals; ungual phalanges hoof-shaped.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinesubo
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Created: 2017-04-17 10:38:36
Modified: 2017-04-17 10:38:36
Source: subo = suborder, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Bush and Bambach 2015, Carroll 1988

Age range: Pelsonian or 247.20000 to 242.00000 Ma

Collections (2 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Pelsonian247.2 - 242.0China (Yunnan) Atopodentatus unicus (type locality: 97946 123839)