Genus
Valid Extinct

Psephoderma

von Meyer 1858

Psephoderma is a genus of placodonts very similar to the related genera Placochelys and Cyamodus. Psephoderma had a flattened skull and a narrow, straight rostrum, much narrower than that of its relatives. Inside this skull, embedded in the jaws, were rounded teeth specialized for crushing the shellfish it ate. Unlike henodontid placodonts, Psephoderma's carapace was divided into two pieces, one on the shoulders and back, and another on the ventral end. Psephoderma grew to 180 centimetres (5.9 ft) long, larger than many of its relatives, and lived in the Late Triassic, about 210 million years ago. It was one of the last placodonts to live. Fossils of Psephoderma have been found in the Rhaetian deposits in the Alps and in England, hence the specific names.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
10
Group
Sauroptérygiens
Marine
Psephoderma
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Museo civico di storia naturale Milano © Tommy from Arad · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia
PBDB Wikipedia
Classification
Sauropterygia Suborder
Placodontia Order
Cyamodontoidea Suborder
Placochelyida Unranked clade
Psephoderma Genus
Measurements
Length
1,8 m
Fossil sites 10 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇮🇹 Italy
4
🇦🇹 Austria
3
🇮🇱 Israel
2
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
1
Geological formations
Calcare di Zu
3
Kössener Schichten
2
Gevanim
1
Saharonim
1
Zorzino Limestone
1
Kössen
1
Westbury
1
Temporal distribution
Rhaetian (205.7–201.4 Ma)
7
Norian (227.3–205.7 Ma)
1
Ladinian (241.464–237 Ma)
1
Anisian (247–241.464 Ma)
1
Species (6)
Placochelys malanchinii subjective synonym of Psephoderma alpinum 215 Ma
Placochelys stoppanii subjective synonym of Psephoderma alpinum 215 Ma
Placodus zitteli subjective synonym of Psephoderma alpinum 215 Ma
Psephoderma alpinum 215 Ma
Psephoderma anglicum 206 Ma
Psephoderma sculptata 243 Ma
Synonyms (1)
Placochelyanus subjective synonym of Psephoderma
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
J. J., Jr. Sepkoski. 2002. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560
Bibliography (5)
J. M. Neenan and T. M. Scheyer. 2014. New specimen of Psephoderma alpinum (Sauropterygia, Placodontia) from the Late Triassic of Schesaplana Mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland. Swiss Journal of Geosciences 107(2-3):349-357 DOI ↗
O. Rieppel. 2002. The dermal armor of the cyamodontoid placodonts (Reptilia, Sauropterygia): morphology and systematic value. Fieldiana Geology: New Series 46:1-41 DOI ↗
G. Pinna and S. Nosotti. 1989. Anatomia, morfologia funzionale e paleoecologia del rettile placodonte Psephoderma alpiunum Meyer, 1858. Memorie della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale de Milano 25(2):1-50
S. Nosotti. 1986. Denti di rettili placodonti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano. Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano 127(3-4):237-244
H. Zapfe. 1976. Ein großer Ichthyosaurier aus den Kössener Schichten der Nordalpen. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 80:239-250