| Lariosaurus | |
|---|---|
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| Lariosaurus valceresii | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Nothosauroidea |
| Suborder: | †Nothosauria |
| Family: | †Nothosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Lariosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Lariosaurus Curioni,1847 |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
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Lariosaurus is anextinctgenus ofnothosaurid from theMiddle Triassic (lateAnisian to lateLadinian stage) of central and westernEurope andChina. With a complete specimen ofL. xingyiensis measuring 70.5 cm (2.3 ft) long andL. hongguoensis possibly measuring up to 80 cm (2.6 ft) long,[1][2] it was one of the smallest known nothosaurs. First discovered atPerledo on theLake Como in 1830, it was named in 1847 byCurioni, its name meaning "Lizard from Larius", the ancient name of thelake. This makes it one of the earliest studied reptiles from the Alps. It is known from an almost complete skeleton holotype and several other fairly complete fossils.
The nothosaurEupodosaurus, initially classified as astegosauriandinosaur, is now considered synonymous withLariosaurus. In 1998 Rieppel synonymisedLariosaurus,Silvestrosaurus andCeresiosaurus, but this is disputed by many authors and they are usually considered close relatives.[3]
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For a nothosaur,Lariosaurus was primitive, possessing a short neck and small flippers in comparison to its relatives. This would have made it a relatively poor swimmer, and it is presumed to have spent much time on dry land, or hunting in shallows.[4] It had a large postorbital region of theskull with thetemporal fossae noticeably larger than the orbits. Thepremaxillary and anterior dentaryteeth are strongly elongated, like fangs, and could have acted as a 'fish trap'. Theparietal andsquamosal bones are elongated into a small occipital crest for the attachment of jaw muscles. Thevertebrae arepachyostotic and have a low neural spine. Ribs are present from the neck all the way down to thesacrum, which has a cluster of four or five pairs. There are caudal ribs, but they are very small and not present beyond the 15th caudal vertebra. The gastral ribs are made up of multiple elements and form a sturdy kind of armour. Thehumerus has a weakly developed deltapectoral crest, and increases gradually in width towards the distal end. There is a distinct space between theradius and the more slenderulna. The fingers have more bones than the toes and clearly show howLariosaurus was unique among nothosaurs because its front legs were adapted into paddles, while the back legs remained five-toed. The femur is more lightly built than the humerus but longer. There is less difference between tibia and fibula than between radius and ulna.[3] Further, based on skeletal findings of immature lariosaurs inside the adults,Lariosaurus is believed by many to beviviparous, or able to bear live young. AnotherLariosaurus skeleton was found with two juvenileplacodonts of the genusCyamodus in its stomach, giving an indication of its diet.
In 2014 a skull was found in the Winterswijk Muschekalk quarry, of what appeared to be a new species, that was namedLariosaurus vosseveldensis. In 2015 it was added to the collection of Museum TwentseWelle in Enschede. It was registered TW.480000504.Also found was an isolated, fused parietal, that was registered TW.4800000505.
Loch Ness mocking "Lariosaurus" sightings are often reported on the newspapers of the Lake Como area. The myth has been cited in various books,[5] songs[6] and TV programmes.[7]
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