A Late Jurassic plesiosaur in Antarctica: Evidence of the dispersion of marine fauna through the Trans-Erythraean Seaway? Un plésiosaure du Jurassique tardif en Antarctique: une preuve de la dispersion de la faune marine à travers la voie maritime Trans-Erythraean Seaway?

O'GORMAN, JOSE P.; REGUERO, MARCELO; SCASSO, ROBERTO A.; ACOSTA-BURLAILLE, LEONEL; GOUIRIC-CAVALLI, SOLEDAD; MOLY, JUAN J.

COMPTES RENDUS PALEVOL

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Año: 2018 vol. 17 p. 158 - 165

1631-0683

During the Jurassic two main marine pathways might act as dispersion routes for vertebrates and invertebrates between Laurasia and Gondwana: the Caribbean Seaway (between North and South America) and the Trans-Erythraean Seaway (splitting Africa from India, Madagascar). The former has proven to be of relevance as a dispersion route for marine vertebrates and invertebrates between the Tethys and Pacific margin of Gondwana. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of the Trans-Erythraean Seaway as a vertebrate dispersion pathway. The Trans-Erythraean Seaway divides the eastern and western South of Gondwana landmasses in the so-called break-up of Gondwana and connects the Tethys Sea with the Palaeo-Pacific. We describe a newly recovered plesiosaur specimen from the Ameghino (= Nordensköld) Formation, Antarctic Peninsula, the first Jurassic plesiosaur from Antarctica. We discuss the importance of this record regarding the hypothesis of marine vertebrate dispersion through the Trans-Erythraean Seaway.