The southernmost occurrence of Ichthyosaurus from the Sinemurian of Portugal

Abstract

The ichthyosaur fossil record of Portugal is composed of specimens from the localities of Sao Pedro de Moel, Alhadas, Cadima, Murtede, Casal do Combo, Condeixa, Alvaiazere and Tomar, within the confines of the Lusitanian Basin, ranging in age from the Sinemurian to the Aalenian. We reviewed the historical ichthyosaur finds in Portugal, and in this work we focus on the specimen IST-MDT 85, from the Sinemurian of Praia de Nossa Senhora da Vitoria, central west coast of Portugal. The specimen was herein ascribed to Ichthyosaurus cf. communis, based on characters of the humerus in comparison with other specimens. This is the southernmost documented occurrence of Ichthyosaurus, widening the geographical range of the genus.