Aptychodon (meaning "unwrinkled tooth") is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Czech Republic. The type species is A. cretaceus.[1]
| Aptychodon Temporal range: Late Cretaceous,
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Teeth from the holotype of A. cretaceus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Genus: | †Aptychodon von Reuss, 1855 |
| Type species | |
| †Aptychodon cretaceus von Reuss, 1855
| |
Discovery and naming
edit
The holotype consists of incompletely preserved teeth and they were discovered at White Mountain near Prague, Czech Republic.[2][3] They were then sent to the Prague Museum before von Reuss (1855) described the teeth and created the species Aptychodon cretaceius.[3]
Description
editThe teeth of Aptychodon are conical and curved towards one side despite mostly being straight. They also measure between 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) and 13 centimetres (5.1 in) in length.[3]
Classification
editAptychodon has been classified as a potential synonym of Polyptychodon interruptus by later authors.[1] Most authors classify Aptychodon within a basal position in Plesiosauria.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Sepkoski, J.J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560
- ^ Aptychodon in the Paleobiology Database
- ^ a b c von Reuss, August Emanuel (1855). "Paläontologishe Miscellen: IV. Reptilreste im pläner der umgebung von Prag" (PDF). Wirklichem Mitoliede der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
 | This article about a plesiosaur is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |