A Late Jurassic plesiosaur in Antarctica: Evidence of the dispersion of marine fauna through the Trans-Erythraean Seaway?

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

COMPTES RENDUS PALEVOL

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Año: 2018

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.