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Hindfins of Ichthyosaurus: effects of large sample size on ‘distinct’ morphological characters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

JUDY A. MASSARE  and
DEAN R. LOMAX
JUDY A. MASSARE*
Affiliation:
Department of the Earth Sciences, SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, New York 14420, USA
DEAN R. LOMAX
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
*
†Author for correspondence: jmassare@brockport.edu
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Abstract

The abundance of specimens of Ichthyosaurus provides an opportunity to assess morphological variation without the limits of a small sample size. This research evaluates the variation and taxonomic utility of hindfin morphology. Two seemingly distinct morphotypes of the mesopodium occur in the genus. Morphotype 1 has three elements in the third row: metatarsal two, distal tarsal three and distal tarsal four. This is the common morphology in Ichthyosaurus breviceps, I. conybeari and I. somersetensis. Morphotype 2 has four elements in the third row, owing to a bifurcation. This morphotype occurs in at least some specimens of each species, but it has several variations distinguished by the extent of contact of elements in the third row with the astragalus. Two specimens display a different morphotype in each fin, suggesting that the difference reflects individual variation. In Ichthyosaurus, the hindfin is taxonomically useful at the genus level, but species cannot be identified unequivocally from a well-preserved hindfin, although certain morphologies are more common in certain species than others. The large sample size filled in morphological gaps between what initially appeared to be taxonomically distinct characters. The full picture of variation would have been obscured with a small sample size. Furthermore, we have found several unusual morphologies which, in isolation, could have been mistaken for new taxa. Thus, one must be cautious when describing new species or genera on the basis of limited material, such as isolated fins and fragmentary specimens.

Keywords

Lower JurassicIchthyosauriaIchthyosauridaetarsusintraspecific variationpathology
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 156 , Issue 4 , April 2019 , pp. 725 - 744
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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