Genus
Valid Extinct

Phalarodon

Merriam 1910

Phalarodon is an extinct genus of mixosaurid ichthyosaur known from the Middle Triassic. Its name is derived from the Greek φάλαρα (phálara) and odon ("tooth"). The genus has had a tumultuous history since its classification in 1910, with different workers describing species under different genera or declaring the genus to be a nomen dubium. Currently three species are recognized, but more have been identified in the past.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
14
Group
Ichtyosaures
Carnivore nektonic Marine
Phalarodon
click to enlarge
Figure description from the paper: "The segmented model of right lateral side of the skull of mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon fraasi (Merriam, 1910) PMO 235.393, from the Botneheia Formation, Middle Triassic of the Isfjorden area in Spitsbergen, Svalbard." References: Roberts, A.J.; Engelschiøn, V.S.; Hurum, J.H. (2022). "First three-dimensional skull of the Middle Triassic mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon fraasi from Svalbard, Norway". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 67 (1): 51–62. DOI:https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00915.2021. © Aubrey Jane Roberts, Victoria Sjøholt Engelschiøn, and Jørn Harald Hurum · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Ichthyosauria Unranked clade
›
Hueneosauria Unranked clade
›
Mixosauridae Family
›
Phalarodon Genus
Fossil sites 14 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇨🇦 Canada
5
🇩🇪 Germany
4
🇺🇸 United States
2
🇨🇳 China
2
🇸🇯 SJ
1
Geological formations
Sulphur Mountain
5
Jena
2
Guanling
2
Prida
1
Favret
1
Temporal distribution
Anisian (246.7–241.464 Ma)
9
Olenekian (249.9–246.7 Ma)
5
Species (6)
Mixosaurus nordenskioeldi subjective synonym of Phalarodon fraasi 250 Ma
Phalarodon atavus 247 Ma
Phalarodon callawayi 243 Ma
Phalarodon fraasi 250 Ma
Phalarodon major 247 Ma
Phalarodon nordenskioeldii 250 Ma
Images 2
Bibliography
Original description
J. J., Jr. Sepkoski. 2002. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560
Bibliography (10)
J. Liu, R. Motani, and D.-Y. Jiang, S.-X. Hu, J. C. Aitchison, O. Rieppel, M. J. benton, Q.-Y. Zhang, C.-Y. Zhou. 2013. The first specimen of the Middle Triassic Pharalodon atavus (Ichthyosauria: Mixosauridae) from South China, showing postcranial anatomy and peri-Tethyan distribution. Palaeontology 56(4):849-866 DOI ↗
D.-Y. Jiang, L. Schmitz, and R. Motani, W.-C. Hao, Y.-L. Sun. 2007. The mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon cf. P. Fraasi from the Middle Triassic of Guizhou Province, China. Journal of Paleontology 81(3):602-605 DOI ↗
L. Schmitz. 2005. The taxonomic status of Mixosaurus nordenskioeldii (Ichthyosauria). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(4):983-985 DOI ↗
L. Schmitz, P. M. Sander, and G. W. Storrs, O. Rieppel. 2004. New Mixosauridae (Ichthyosauria) from the Middle Triassic of the Augusta Moutnains (Nevada, USA) and their implications for mixosaur taxonomy. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 270:133-162 DOI ↗
M. W. Maisch and A. T. Matzke. 2001. The cranial osteology of the Middle Triassic ichthyosaur Contectopalatus from Germany. Palaeontology 44(6):1127-1156 DOI ↗
M. W. Maisch and A. T. Matzke. 2001. Observations on Triassic ichthyosaurs. Part VIII. A redescription of Phalarodon major (von Huene, 1916) and the composition and phylogeny of the Mixosauridae. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie, Abhandlungen 220(3):431-447 DOI ↗
E. L. Nicholls, D. B. Brinkman, and J. M. Callaway. 1999. New material of Phalarodon (reptilia: ichthyosauria) from the triassic of British Columbia and its bearing on the interrelationships of mixosaurs. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 252:1-22 DOI ↗
J. M. Callaway and D. B. Brinkman. 1989. Ichthyosaurs (Reptilia, Ichthyosauria) from the Lower and Middle Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation, Wapiti Lake area, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 26(7):1491-1500 DOI ↗
O. Kuhn. 1942. Über einige Saurierreste aus dem Muschelkalk von Freyburg a. d. Unstrut [On some saurian remains from the Muschelkalk of Freyburg on the Unstrut]. Beiträge zur Geologie von Thüringen 6:17-24
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