Leptonectes Explained

Leptonectes is a genus of ichthyosaur that lived in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (Rhaetian - Pliensbachian). Fossils have been found in Belgium, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.^{[1] [2] [3]} A possible specimen from Switzerland first reported in 2006,^[4] has been reclassified as that of Hauffiopteryx.^[5] The type species, L. tenuirostris, reached 4m (13feet) long, whereas L. moorei (NHMUK PV R 14370) likely reached 3m (10feet) long;^[6] the largest species, L. solei, was approximately 5m-6mm (16feet-20feetm) long.^{[7] [8]}

See also

• List of ichthyosaurs
• Timeline of ichthyosaur research

Notes and References

1. Maisch MW, Matzke AT. 2000. The Ichthyosauria. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie) 298: 1-159
2. McGowan C, Motani R. 2003. Ichthyopterygia. – In: Sues, H.-D. (ed.): Handbook of Paleoherpetology, Part 8, Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, 175 pp., 101 figs., 19 plts; München
3. Marta S. Fernández . Laura Piñuela . José Carlos García-Ramos . 2018 . First report of Leptonectes (Ichthyosauria: Leptonectidae) from the Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Asturias, northern Spain . Palaeontologia Electronica . 21 . 2 . Article number 21.2.29A . 10.26879/802 . free . 11336/85063 . free .
4. Maisch MW, Reisdorf AG. 2006. Evidence for the longest stratigraphic range of a post-Triassic Ichthyosaur: a Leptonectes tenuirostris from the Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) of Switzerland. Geobios 39: 491-505.
5. Klug, C.. Sivgin, T.. Miedema, F.. Scheffold, B.. Reisdorf, A.G.. Stössel, I.. Maxwell, E.E.. Scheyer, T.M.. 2024. Swiss ichthyosaurs: a review. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 143. 1 . 31. 31 . 10.1186/s13358-024-00327-4. free . 39229570 . 11366730.
6. McGowan Christopher and Angela C. Milner . 1999 . A new Pliensbachian ichthyosaur from Dorset, England . Palaeontology. 42 . 5. 761–768 . 10.1111/1475-4983.00096 . subscription .
7. Michael W. Maisch and Andreas T. Matzke . 2000 . The Ichthyosauria . Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde: Serie B . 298 . 1–159 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718120150/http://www.naturkundemuseum-bw.de/stuttgart/pdf/b_pdf/B298.pdf . 2011-07-18 .
8. Martin, J.E.. Vincent, P.. Suan, G.. Sharpe, T.. Hodges, P.. William, M.. Howells, C.. Fischer, V.. 2015. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 60. 4. Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences. A Mysterious Giant Ichthyosaur from the Lowermost Jurassic of Wales. 837–842. 10.4202/app.00062.2014. 13714078 . free. Supplementary Information