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Ichthyosaurs from the Jurassic of Skye, Scotland

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 and Mark Wilkinson
Scottish Journal of Geology, 51, 43-55, 11 January 2015, https://doi.org/10.1144/sjg2014-018
Stephen L. Brusatte
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
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  • For correspondence: Stephen.Brusatte@ed.ac.uk
Mark T. Young
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
3School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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Thomas J. Challands
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
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Neil D. L. Clark
4The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Valentin Fischer
5Geology Department, University of Liege, B18 Allée du Six Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Nicholas C. Fraser
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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Jeff J. Liston
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
6Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
7Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Colin C. J. MacFadyen
8Scottish Natural Heritage, Silvan House, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 7AT, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Dugald A. Ross
9Staffin Museum, 6 Ellishadder, Staffin, Isle of Skye IV51 9JE, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Stig Walsh
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Mark Wilkinson
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
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Abstract

Fossils of Mesozoic vertebrates are rare in Scotland, particularly specimens of marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs. We describe a suite of ichthyosaur fossils from the Early to Middle Jurassic of Skye, which to our knowledge are the first ichthyosaurs from Scotland to be described and figured in detail. These fossils span approximately 30 million years, from the Sinemurian to the Bathonian, and indicate that ichthyosaurs were a major component of Scottish marine faunas during this time. The specimens include isolated teeth that could represent the most northerly known occurrences of the widespread Sinemurian species Ichthyosaurus communis, a characteristic component of the famous Lyme Regis faunas of England, suggesting that such faunas were also present in Scotland during the Early Jurassic. An associated humerus and vertebrae from Toarcian–Bajocian-aged deposits are named as a new genus and species of basal neoichthyosaurian, Dearcmhara shawcrossi. The taxonomic affinities of this taxon, which comes from a critical but poorly sampled interval in the fossil record, suggest that non-ophthalmosaurid neoichthyosaurians dominated European assemblages around the Early–Middle Jurassic boundary, and were later replaced by ophthalmosaurids, whose radiation likely took place outside Europe. Many of these specimens were collected by amateurs and donated to museum collections, a co-operative relationship essential to the preservation of Scotland’s fossil heritage.

  • © 2015 Scottish Journal of Geology
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Scottish Journal of Geology: 51 (1)
Scottish Journal of Geology
Volume 51, Issue 1
April 2015
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Ichthyosaurs from the Jurassic of Skye, Scotland

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 and Mark Wilkinson
Scottish Journal of Geology, 51, 43-55, 11 January 2015, https://doi.org/10.1144/sjg2014-018
Stephen L. Brusatte
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: Stephen.Brusatte@ed.ac.uk
Mark T. Young
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
3School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Thomas J. Challands
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Neil D. L. Clark
4The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Valentin Fischer
5Geology Department, University of Liege, B18 Allée du Six Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Nicholas C. Fraser
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jeff J. Liston
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
6Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
7Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Colin C. J. MacFadyen
8Scottish Natural Heritage, Silvan House, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 7AT, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Dugald A. Ross
9Staffin Museum, 6 Ellishadder, Staffin, Isle of Skye IV51 9JE, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stig Walsh
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
2National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mark Wilkinson
1School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, the King’s Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
#Authors listed alphabetically
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

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Ichthyosaurs from the Jurassic of Skye, Scotland

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 and Mark Wilkinson
Scottish Journal of Geology, 51, 43-55, 11 January 2015, https://doi.org/10.1144/sjg2014-018
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