List of ichthyosaur genera

This list of ichthyosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Ichthyosauria or the parent clade Ichthyopterygia, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered ichthyopterygian. Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygians shall be noted as such. This list contains 120 genera.

Scope and terminology

There is no official, canonical list of ichthyosaur genera but one of the most thorough attempts can be found at the "Ichthyosauromorpha" section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive.^[1]

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

• Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
• Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. In this case, these nomina nuda will be deleted from this list in favor of the published name.
• Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
• Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.

The List

Genus Authors Year Status Age Location Notes Acamptonectes[2] Fischer et al. 2012 Valid eK[2] to lK[2] Europe[2] Actiosaurus Sauvage 1883 Disputed Europe Aegirosaurus[3] Bardet Fernández 2000 Valid lJ[3] Europe[3] A 2 meter long[3] ophthalmosaurid[4] whose remains were discovered in the Solnhofen limestone and mistaken for a new Ichthyosaurus species. In 2000 scientists concluded that the fossil material should be assigned to a new genus. Anhuisaurus[1] Chen 1985 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Preoccupied by lizard genus Anhuisaurus Hou, 1974. Junior synonym of Chaohusaurus. Arthropterygius Maxwell 2010 Valid lJ North America Athabascasaurus Druckenmiller Maxwell 2010 Valid eK North America Barracudasauroides Maisch 2010 Valid mT Asia Besanosaurus[5] Dal Sasso Pinna 1996 Valid mT[5] Europe[5] Brachypterygius[6][7] von Huene 1922 Valid lJ[6] Europe[8][9] A lJ Ophthalmosaurid closely related to Platypterygius and Caypullisaurus.[4] Fossils have been found in England and European Russia.[8][9] Californosaurus[6][10] Kuhn 1934 Valid lT[6] N. America A 3-meter teretocnemid who is also the basal-most known Euichthyosaurian. Its remains were first recovered from the Carnian Lower Hosselkus Limestone of California. Californosaurus has also been known as Shastasaurus perrini and Delphinosaurus perrini. Callawayia[11] Maische Matzke 2000 Valid Cartorhynchus[12] Motani et al. 2015 Valid eT Asia Non-ichthyosaur ichthyosauriform Caypullisaurus[6][7] Fernández 1997 Valid lJ[6] to eK S. America A large ophthalmosaurid closely related to Platypterygius and Brachypterygius.[4] It was discovered in strata dating to the lJ - eK of Argentina. Chacaicosaurus[10] Fernández 1994 Valid S. America[9] A Bajocian genus whose fossils have been found in Argentina.[9] Possibly a stenopterygiid. Chaohusaurus[1][6] Young Dong 1972 Valid eT[6] Asia A primitive ichthyosaur that retained a lizard-like body discovered in Chaohu, China. It was also one of the smallest ichthyosaurs, being from 70 to 180 cm long and an estimated weight of 10 kg. Chensaurus[1][6] Mazin Suteethorn Buffetaut Jaeger Helmcke-Ingavat 1991 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Chaohusaurus. Chonespondylus[6] Leidy 1868 Valid mT[6] Contectopalatus[13] Maische Matzke 1998 Disputed mT[13] Europe[13] A strange mT mixosaurid with a high crest of bone on its head and a 5-meter body. It was thought to be a Mixosaurus species for some time until given its own genus in 1998. Some experts have felt that the splitting was unjustified. Cryopterygius[14] Druckenmiller et al. 2012[14] Valid lJ[14] Europe[14] Cymbospondylus[6][11] Leidy 1868 Valid eT[6] to mT[6] One of the largest ichthyosaurs, adults ranged in length from 6 m (20 ft) up to 10 m (33 ft) long. It was one of the least fish-like of the ichthyosaurs, lacking a dorsal fin and fluked tail. Consequently, Cymbospondylus probably swam by wriggling its body from side to side like a modern sea snake. Dearcmhara[15] Brusatte et al. 2015 Valid eJ to mJ Europe Delphinosaurus[6] Merriam 1905 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Californosaurus. Eretmorhipis[16] Chen et al. 2015 Valid eT Asia Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian Eurhinosaurus[6][10] Abel 1909 Valid eJ[6] Europe A genus exceeding 6 m in length[9] from the Sinemurian to Toarcian of England and Germany. Eurhinosaurus was built like a regular ichthyosaur, with a fish-like body including a large eyes, dorsal and caudal fins, but had one distinct feature that set it apart from other ichthyosaurs; its upper jaw was twice as long as the lower jaw and covered with sidewards-pointing 'teeth', like a sawfish's. Eurypterygius Jaekel 1904 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Ichthyosaurus. Excalibosaurus McGowan 1986 Valid eJ[6] Lived during the Sinemurian stage in what is now England. It is characterized by the extreme elongation of the rostrum, giving the animal a swordfish-like look. Excalibosaurus is known from two skeletons. The holotype was from a juvenile with an estimated body length of 4 m. The estimated body length of the second specimen, discovered in 1996, is 7 m. Gengasaurus Paparella et al. In press In press lJ Europe Grendelius[6] McGowan 1976 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Brachypterygius. Grippia[1][6] Wiman 1930 Valid eT[6] Asia Greenland Japan N. America A small ichthyosaur only 1-1.5 m long, its fossils have been found along the coasts of Greenland, China, Japan, and Canada. Gulosaurus[17] Cuthbertson et al. 2013 Valid eT[17] N. America[17] A grippidian. The type species is Gulosaurus helmi.[17] Guizhouichthyosaurus Cao Luo 2000 Valid lT Asia Himalayasaurus Young Dong 1972 Valid lT Asia Hudsonelpidia McGowan 1995 Valid lT[6] Hupehsuchus[1] Carroll Dong 1991 Valid mT Asia Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian from the mT of China. The type species is H. nanchangensis. Ichthyosaurus[6][10] De la Beche Conybeare 1821 Valid eJ[6] Isfjordosaurus Motani 1999 Valid Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian. Janusaurus[18] Roberts et al. 2014 Valid lJ[18] Europe[18] An ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur. The type species is Janusaurus lundi.[18] Leninia[19] Fischer et al. 2014 Valid eK[19] Europe[19] An ophthalmosaurine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur. The type species is Leninia stellans.[19] Leptocheirus Merriam 1903 Valid Leptonectes McGowan 1996 Valid Europe[9] Lived from the Rhaetian to Pliensbachian in what is now Belgium, England and Germany.[9] Leptopterygius Huene 1922 Valid lT[6] to eJ[6] Macgowania Motani 1999 Valid Macropterygius Huene 1923 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Aegirosaurus. Maiaspondylus[7] Maxwell Caldwell 2006 Valid lK[7] N. America[7] Malawania[20] Fischer et al. 2013 Valid eK[20] Asia[20] A basal member of Thunnosauria. The type species is Malawania anachronus.[20] Merriamia[6] Boulenger 1904 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Toretocnemus. Metashastasaurus Nicholls Manabe 2001 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Callawayia. Mikadocephalus[11][21] Maisch Matzke 1998 Valid Europe[21] Mixosaurus[6][11] Baur 1887 Valid mT[6] Mollesaurus Fernandez 1999 Valid mJ S. America Myopterygius von Huene 1922 Syn. Synonymy of Platypterygius Muiscasaurus Maxwell Dick Padilla Parra 2015 Valid eK S. America Nanchangosaurus Wang 1959 Valid mT[6] Nannopterygius Huene 1922 Valid lJ[6] Europe Nannopterygius is a genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur that lived in from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian. Fossils have been found in England and Germany.[9] Omphalosaurus Merriam 1906 Valid eT Europe An extinct genus of marine reptile from Spitsbergen. It has been considered an ichthyopterygian, however a study by Motani in 2000 showed that it lacks the basal synapomorphies of Ichthyopterygia. As such, its exact position in the diapsid tree is currently unknown. Ophthalmosaurus[7] Seeley 1874 Valid mJ[6] to lJ[6] Europe N. America S. America[7] Otschevia Efimov 1997 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Brachypterygius. Palvennia [14] Druckenmiller et al. 2012 Valid lJ[14] Europe[14] Panjiangsaurus Chen Chang 2003 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Guizhouichthyosaurus.[22][23] Paraophthalmosaurus Arkhangelsky 1997 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Ophthalmosaurus. Parvinatator Nicholls Brinkman 1995 Valid Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian. Pessopteryx Wiman 1910 Valid Pessosaurus Wiman 1910 Valid mT[6] Phalarodon Merriam 1910 Valid mT[6] Asia[24] Phantomosaurus[6] Maisch Matzke 2000 Valid Platypterygius Kuhn 1946 Valid lK[6] Plutonisaurus Efimov 1997 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Platypterygius. Proteosaurus Home 1819 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Ichthyosaurus. Protoichthyosaurus Appleby 1979 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Ichthyosaurus. Qianichthyosaurus Li 1999 Valid Sangiorgiosaurus Brinkmann 1998 Valid Sclerocormus Jiang et al. 2016 Valid eT Asia Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian. Shastasaurus Merriam 1895 Valid mT[22] to lT[6] Asia Europe N. America Shastasaurus is a genus of ichthyosaur from whose remains have been found in United States, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Spitsbergen and China.[22] Shonisaurus Camp 1976 Valid lT[6] ?Asia N. America The largest genus of ichthyosaur that has yet been found. Fossils of Shonisaurus were first found in Nevada in 1920. It lived during the Norian stage of the late Triassic period and had a long pointed mouth that contained teeth only at the front end. S. popularis specimens reached a length of 15 meters (49 feet). A second species, S. sikanniensis, was later discovered in British Columbia and has an estimated length of 21 meters (69 feet). Simbirskia Otschev Efimov 1985 Valid Simbirskiasaurus Otschev Efimov 1985 Valid eK[6] Sisteronia[25] Fischer et al. 2014 Valid eK [25] Europe [25] A platypterygiine ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur. The type species is Sisteronia seeleyi. [25] Stenopterygius Jaekel 1904 Valid eJ[6] Europe Lived from the Toarcian to Aalenian from England, France, Germany and Luxembourg. Maximum length was 4 m.[9] One famous fossil is that of a mother and baby that died in childbirth. This proved that ichthyosaur infants were born tail-first, just like cetaceans, to prevent them from drowning before fully clearing the birth canal. Suevoleviathan Maisch 1998 Valid Svalbardosaurus Mazin 1981 Nomen dubium[1] eT[6] Sveltonectes Fischer Masure Arkhangelsky Godefroit 2011 Valid eK Europe Temnodontosaurus Lydekker 1889 Valid eJ[6] Europe Lived from the Hettangian to Toarcian in England and Germany. It was a large genus, exceeded 12 meters (39 feet) in length.[9] Temnodontosaurus eyes were approximately 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter making them the largest of any known vertebrate. Thaisaurus Mazin Sutetthorn Buffetaut Jaeger Helmcke-Ignavat 1991 Valid Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian. Thalattoarchon[26] Fröbisch et al. 2013 Valid mT[26] North America[26] Toretocnemus Merriam 1902 Valid lT[6] Undorosaurus Efimov 1997 Valid lJ Russia Utatsusaurus[1][6] Shikoma 1978 Valid eT[6] Non-ichthyosaur ichthyopterygian. Wahlisaurus Lomax 2016 Valid eJ Europe Wimanius Maisch Matzke 1988 Valid		Besanosaurus Californosaurus. Caypullisaurus. Chaohusaurus. Cymbospondylus. Eurhinosaurus. Excalibosaurus. Grippia. Hupehsuchus. Ichthyosaurus. Leptonectes. Mixosaurus. Ophthalmosaurus. Platypterigius. Shastasaurus. Shonisaurus. Stenopterygius. Temnodontosaurus. Utatsusaurus.

See also

• Ichthyosaur
• Ichthyopterygia
• List of dinosaurs
• List of mosasaurs
• List of plesiosaurs
• List of pterosaurs
• List of ichthyosaur type specimens
• Timeline of ichthyosaur research

References

1. Haaramo, Mikko (14 July 2004). "Ichthyosauromorpha". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
2. Fischer,V.; Maisch, M.W.; Naish, D.; Kosma, R.; Liston, J.; Joger, U.; Krüger, F.J.; Pérez,J.P.; Tainsh, J.; Appleby, R.M. (2012). "New Ophthalmosaurid Ichthyosaurs from the European Lower Cretaceous Demonstrate Extensive Ichthyosaur Survival across the Jurassic–Cretaceous Boundary". PLoS ONE. 7 (1): e29234. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029234. PMC 3250416. PMID 22235274.
3. Bardet N, Fernández M. 2000. A new ichthyosaur from the Upper Jurassic lithographic limestones of Bavaria. Journal of Paleontology 74 (3): 503-511.
4. Fernández, M. (2007). "Redescription and phylogenetic position of Caypullisaurus (Ichthyosauria: Ophthalmosauridae)". Journal of Paleontology. 81 (2): 368–375. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2007)81[368:RAPPOC]2.0.CO;2.
5. Dal Sasso, Cristiano and Giovanni Pinna, 1996. Besanosaurus leptorhynchus n. gen. n. sp., a new shastasaurid ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic of Besano (Lombardy, N. Italy). Paleontologia Lombarda, Nuova seire Volume IV: 1-23.
6. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (entry on Reptilia)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
7. Haaramo, Mikko (11 March 2008). "Ophthalmosauria". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
8. Efimov, VM. (1998). "An Ichthyosaur, Otschevia pseudoscythica gen. et sp. nov from the Upper Jurassic Strata of the Ulyanovsk Region (Volga Region)". Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal. 32 (2): 187–191.
9. Maisch, MW; Matzke, AT. (2000). "The Ichthyosauria". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie). 298: 1–159.
10. Haaramo, Mikko (11 March 2004). "Euichthyosauria". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
11. Haaramo, Mikko (11 March 2008). "Ichthyosauria". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
12. Ryosuke Motani; Da-Yong Jiang; Guan-Bao Chen; Andrea Tintori; Olivier Rieppel; Cheng Ji & Jian-Dong Huang (2015). "A basal ichthyosauriform with a short snout from the Lower Triassic of China". Nature. 517 (7535): 485–488. doi:10.1038/nature13866.
13. Maisch & Matzke, A. T. 2000. The mixosaurid ichthyosaur Contectopalatus from the Middle Triassic of the German Basin. Lethaia 33: 71-74.
14. Patrick S. Druckenmiller; Jørn H. Hurum; Espen M. Knutsen & Hans Arne Nakrem (2012). "Two new ophthalmosaurids (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Agardhfjellet Formation (Upper Jurassic: Volgian/Tithonian), Svalbard, Norway" (PDF). Norwegian Journal of Geology. 92 (2–3): 311–339.
15. Stephen L. Brusatte; Mark T. Young; Thomas J. Challands; Neil D. L. Clark; Valentin Fischer; Nicholas C. Fraser; Jeff J. Liston; Colin C. J. MacFadyen; Dugald A. Ross; Stig Walsh & Mark Wilkinson (2015). "Ichthyosaurs from the Jurassic of Skye, Scotland". Scottish Journal of Geology. 51 (1): 43–55. doi:10.1144/sjg2014-018.
16. Xiao-hong Chen; Ryosuke Motani; Long Cheng; Da-yong Jiang & Olivier Rieppel (2015). "A New Specimen of Carroll's Mystery Hupehsuchian from the Lower Triassic of China". PLoS ONE. 10 (5): e0126024. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126024.
17. Robin S. Cuthbertson; Anthony P. Russell & Jason S. Anderson (2013). "Cranial morphology and relationships of a new grippidian (Ichthyopterygia) from the Vega-Phroso Siltstone Member (Lower Triassic) of British Columbia, Canada". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (4): 831–847. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.755989.
18. Aubrey Jane Roberts; Patrick Scott Druckenmiller; Glenn-Peter Sætre & Jørn Harald Hurum (2014). "A New Upper Jurassic Ophthalmosaurid Ichthyosaur from the Slottsmøya Member, Agardhfjellet Formation of Central Spitsbergen". PLoS ONE. 9 (8): e103152. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103152.
19. Valentin Fischer; Maxim S. Arkhangelsky; Gleb N. Uspensky; Ilya M. Stenshin & Pascal Godefroit (2014). "A new Lower Cretaceous ichthyosaur from Russia reveals skull shape conservatism within Ophthalmosaurinae". Geological Magazine. 151 (1): 60–70. doi:10.1017/S0016756812000994.
20. Valentin Fischer; Robert M. Appleby; Darren Naish; Jeff Liston; James B. Riding; Stephen Brindley & Pascal Godefroit (2013). "A basal thunnosaurian from Iraq reveals disparate phylogenetic origins for Cretaceous ichthyosaurs". Biology Letters. 9 (4): 20130021. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2013.0021.
21. Maisch, M. W,. and Matzke A. T., 1998, Mikadocephalus gracilirostris n. gen., n. sp., a new ichthyosaur from the Grenzbitumenzone (Anisian-Ladinian) of Mont San Giorgio (Switzerland): Palaontologische Zeitschrift, v. 71, n. ¾, p. 267-289.
22. Shang Qing-Hua; Li Chun (2009). "On the occurrence of the ichthyosaur Shastasaurus in the Guanling Biota (Late Triassic), Guizhou, China" (PDF). Vertebrata PalAsiatica. 47 (3): 178–193.
23. Sander, P.M.; Chen, X.; Cheng, L.; Wang, X. (2011). Claessens, Leon, ed. "Short-Snouted Toothless Ichthyosaur from China Suggests Late Triassic Diversification of Suction Feeding Ichthyosaurs". PLoS ONE. 6 (5): e19480. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019480. PMC 3100301. PMID 21625429.
24. Jiang, D.-Y.; Schmitz, L.; Motani, R.; Hao, W.-C.; Sun, Y.-L. (2007). "The mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon cf. P. fraasi from the Middle Triassic of Guizhou Province, China". Journal of Paleontology. 81 (3): 602–605. doi:10.1666/05092.1.
25. Valentin Fischer; Nathalie Bardet; Myette Guiomar & Pascal Godefroit (2014). "High Diversity in Cretaceous Ichthyosaurs from Europe Prior to Their Extinction". PLoS ONE. 9 (1): e84709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084709.
26. Nadia B. Fröbisch; Jörg Fröbisch; P. Martin Sander; Lars Schmitz & Olivier Rieppel (2013). "Macropredatory ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic and the origin of modern trophic networks". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. in press. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216750110.

External links

• USMP Berkeley's ichthyosaur introduction
• Ryosuke Motani's detailed Ichthyosaur homepage, with vivid graphics
• Eureptilia: Ichthyosauria - Palaeos
• Ichthyosauria - cladogram (Mikko's Phylogeny Archive)
• Hauff Museum, Germany - exhibiting the finds of Holzmaden