Genus
Valid Extinct

Keilhauia

Delsett et al. 2017

Keilhauia is a genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur, a type of dolphin-like, large-eyed marine reptile, from the Early Cretaceous shallow marine Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation in Svalbard, Norway. The genus contains a single species, K. nui, known from a single specimen discovered in 2010 and described by Delsett et al. in 2017. In life, Keilhauia probably measured approximately 4 metres (13 ft) in length; it can be distinguished by other ophthalmosaurids by the wide top end of its ilium and the relatively short ischiopubis compared to the femur. Although it was placed in a basal position within the Ophthalmosauridae by phylogenetic analysis, this placement is probably incorrect.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
1
Group
Ichtyosaures
Carnivore nektonic Marine
Keilhauia
click to enlarge
Fig 3. Skeletal map of Keilhauia nui (PMO 222.655) viewed from the side stratigraphically down, i.e. the prepared side. Vertebrae numbers (“x#”) indicate position relative to the anterior end of the preserved skeleton and do not correspond to their actual position in the column. Dashed lines show three faults. Scale bar equals 50 cm. Modified from Delsett et al. 2016. © Lene Liebe Delsett, Aubrey J. Roberts, Patrick S. Druckenmiller, Jørn H. Huru · CC0 · Wikimedia
PBDB Wikipedia
Classification
Ichthyosauria Unranked clade
Baracromia Unranked clade
Ophthalmosauridae Family
Keilhauia Genus
Fossil sites 1 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇸🇯 SJ
1
Geological formations
Agardhfjellet
1
Temporal distribution
Berriasian (143.1–137.05 Ma)
1
Species (1)
Keilhauia nui 143 Ma
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
L. L. Delsett, A. J. Roberts, and P. S. Druckenmiller, J. J. Hurum. 2017. A new ophthalmosaurid (Ichthyosauria) from Svalbard, Norway, and evolution of the ichthyopterygian pelvic girdle. PLoS ONE 12(1):e0169971 DOI ↗
Bibliography (1)
L. L. Delsett, A. J. Roberts, and P. S. Druckenmiller, J. J. Hurum. 2017. A new ophthalmosaurid (Ichthyosauria) from Svalbard, Norway, and evolution of the ichthyopterygian pelvic girdle. PLoS ONE 12(1):e0169971 DOI ↗