Genus
Valid Extinct

Omphalosaurus

Merriam 1906

Omphalosaurus is an extinct genus of marine reptile from the Early Triassic to Middle Triassic, thought to be in the order of Ichthyosauria. Most of what is known about Omphalosaurus is based on multiple jaw fragments, ribs, and vertebrae. Specimens of Omphalosaurus have been described from the western United States, Poland, Austria and the island of Spitsbergen off the northern coast of Norway.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
6
Group
Ichtyosaures
Carnivore nektonic Marine
Omphalosaurus
click to enlarge
The incomplete skull and vertebrae of the holotype of Omphalosaurus nevadanus, seen in dorsal (left) and ventral view (right). This image was derived by combining plates 8 and 9 of Merriam (1906), done by an uncredited artist. Legend: A - angular D - dentary Pl - palatine Pt - pterygoid Sa - surangular Sp - splenial V - vertebrae a, b, c - "doubtful elements" © Uncredited · Public domain · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Ichthyosauria Unranked clade
›
Omphalosauridae Family
›
Omphalosaurus Genus
Fossil sites 6 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇺🇸 United States
2
🇩🇪 Germany
2
🇸🇯 SJ
1
🇵🇱 Poland
1
Geological formations
Prida
2
Vikinghøgda
1
Karchowice
1
Lercheck Limestone
1
Temporal distribution
Ladinian (241.464–237 Ma)
2
Anisian (247–241.464 Ma)
2
Olenekian (250.8–247 Ma)
2
Species (3)
Omphalosaurus nettarhynchus 249 Ma
Omphalosaurus nevadanus 247 Ma
Omphalosaurus wolfi 241 Ma
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 (6)
C. P. Ekeheien, L. L. Delsett, and A. J. Roberts, J. H. Hurum. 2018. Preliminary report on ichthyopterygian elements from the Early Triassic (Spathian) of Spitsbergen. Norwegian Journal of Geology 98(2):219-237 DOI ↗
T. Wintrich, H. Hagdorn, and P. M. Sander. 2017. An enigmatic marine reptile—the actual first record of Omphalosaurus in the Muschelkalk of the Germanic basin. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 37(6):e1384739 DOI ↗
P. M. Sander and C. Faber. 2003. The Triassic marine reptile Omphalosaurus: osteology, jaw anatomy, and evidence for ichthyosaurian affinities. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(4):799-816 DOI ↗
P. M. Sander and C. Faber. 1998. New finds of Omphalosaurus and a review of Triassic ichthyosaur paleobiogeography. Palaeontologische Zeitschrift 72(1/2):149-162 DOI ↗
J.-M. Mazin and H. F. R. Bucher. 1987. [(Omphalosaurus nettarhynchus, a new Omphalosaurid species (Reptilia, Ichthyopterygia) from the Spathian of the Humboldt Range, Nevada, USA)]. Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences. Série 2, Mécanique, Physique, Chimie, Sciences de l'univers, Sciences de la Terre 305(9):823-828
J. C. Merriam. 1906. Preliminary note on a new marine reptile from the Middle Triassic of Nevada. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 5(5):71-79