Published

2018-10-01

A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia

Un nuevo Pliosáurido de gran tamaño del Barremiano (Cretácico Inferior) de Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916

Keywords:

Pliosauridae, Brachaucheninae, Lower Cretaceous, Barremian, Sáchica, Colombia (en)
Pliosauridae, Brachaucheninae, Cretácico Inferior, Barremiano, Sáchica, Colombia (es)

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Authors

  • María Eurídice Páramo-Fonseca Universidad Nacional de Colombia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8260-9762
  • Cristian David Benavides-Cabra Universidad Nacional de Colombia
  • Ingry Esmirna Gutiérrez Universidad Nacional de Colombia
A new fossil MP111209-1 found in the Barremian beds of Sáchica, a town near Villa de Leiva representing the more complete skeleton found in the region is described here. After a detailed study of its morphological characteristics, it is evident that the new specimen represents a new genus and species of brachauchenine pliosaurid from Central Colombia that we named Sachicasaurus vitae gen. et sp. nov. Sachicasaurus is a large brachauchenine (almost 10 m in length) characterized by the following combination of characters: skull exceeding two meters in length,  transverse constriction in the rostrum, caniniform teeth present, pineal foramen in a very advanced position, palatines separated in the midline by the pterygoids, very short mandibular symphysis (bearing four teeth positions), reduced number of mandibular teeth (less than 20), slender hyoid bones, 12 cervical vertebrae, cervical centra showing ventral foramina, single rib facet in all cervical centra, at least 40 pre-caudal vertebrae, and ilium with a long posterior projection. Although it is difficult to clearly establish the phylogenetic position of Sachicasaurus viate within Brachaucheninae due to its combination of primitive and derived features, the morphological comparisons and the cladistic analysis show an evident phylogenetic proximity of Sachicasaurus to the Aptian-Albian genus Kronosaurus.

Se describe un nuevo fósil, MP111209-1 encontrado en capas del  Barremiano de Sáchica, municipio vecino a Villa de Leiva, el cual representa el esqueleto más completo descubierto en la región. El detallado estudio de sus características morfológicas evidencia que el nuevo espécimen representa un nuevo género y especie de pliosáurido brachauchenino de la región central de Colombia, al que hemos denominado Sachicasaurus vitae gen. et sp. nov. Sachicasaurus es un brachauchenino de gran tamaño (alrededor de 10 m de longitud) caracterizado por la siguiente combinación de caracteres: cráneo con longitud mayor a dos metros; constricción transversal en el rostro; dientes caniniformes presentes; foramen pineal ubicado en una posición avanzada; palatinos separados en la línea media por los pterigoideos; sínfisis mandibular muy corta (cuatro posiciones de dientes); número reducido de dientes mandibulares (menos de 20) ; hioides esbeltos; 12 vertebras cervicales; centros cervicales con forámenes ventrales; una sola faceta articular para las costillas en todos los centros cervicales; como mínimo 40 vertebras precaudales; e ilion con una proyección posterior larga. Las relaciones filogenéticas de  Sachicasaurus vitae dentro de Brachaucheninae son problemáticas debido a que presenta una combinación de caracteres primitivos y derivados. Sin embargo, la comparación morfológica y los análisis cladísticos muestran una evidente proximidad filogenética de Sachicasaurus con el género Kronosaurus de edad Aptiano a Albiano. 

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How to Cite

APA

Páramo-Fonseca, M. E., Benavides-Cabra, C. D. and Gutiérrez, I. E. (2018). A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth Sciences Research Journal, 22(4), 223–238. https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916

ACM

[1]
Páramo-Fonseca, M.E., Benavides-Cabra, C.D. and Gutiérrez, I.E. 2018. A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth Sciences Research Journal. 22, 4 (Oct. 2018), 223–238. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916.

ACS

(1)
Páramo-Fonseca, M. E.; Benavides-Cabra, C. D.; Gutiérrez, I. E. A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth sci. res. j. 2018, 22, 223-238.

ABNT

PÁRAMO-FONSECA, M. E.; BENAVIDES-CABRA, C. D.; GUTIÉRREZ, I. E. A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth Sciences Research Journal, [S. l.], v. 22, n. 4, p. 223–238, 2018. DOI: 10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/69916. Acesso em: 19 oct. 2024.

Chicago

Páramo-Fonseca, María Eurídice, Cristian David Benavides-Cabra, and Ingry Esmirna Gutiérrez. 2018. “A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia”. Earth Sciences Research Journal 22 (4):223-38. https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916.

Harvard

Páramo-Fonseca, M. E., Benavides-Cabra, C. D. and Gutiérrez, I. E. (2018) “A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia”, Earth Sciences Research Journal, 22(4), pp. 223–238. doi: 10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916.

IEEE

[1]
M. E. Páramo-Fonseca, C. D. Benavides-Cabra, and I. E. Gutiérrez, “A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia”, Earth sci. res. j., vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 223–238, Oct. 2018.

MLA

Páramo-Fonseca, M. E., C. D. Benavides-Cabra, and I. E. Gutiérrez. “A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia”. Earth Sciences Research Journal, vol. 22, no. 4, Oct. 2018, pp. 223-38, doi:10.15446/esrj.v22n4.69916.

Turabian

Páramo-Fonseca, María Eurídice, Cristian David Benavides-Cabra, and Ingry Esmirna Gutiérrez. “A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia”. Earth Sciences Research Journal 22, no. 4 (October 1, 2018): 223–238. Accessed October 19, 2024. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/69916.

Vancouver

1.
Páramo-Fonseca ME, Benavides-Cabra CD, Gutiérrez IE. A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia. Earth sci. res. j. [Internet]. 2018 Oct. 1 [cited 2024 Oct. 19];22(4):223-38. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/69916

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