Parvipelvia | |
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Ichthyosaurus breviceps fossil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | †Ichthyosauria |
Clade: | †Euichthyosauria |
Node: | †Parvipelvia Motani, 1999 |
Subgroups | |
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Parvipelvia (Latin for "little pelvis" - parvus meaning "little" and pelvis meaning "pelvis") is an extinct clade of euichthyosaur ichthyosaurs that existed from the Late Triassic to the early Late Cretaceous (middle Norian to Cenomanian) of Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Named by Ryosuke Motani, in 1999, it contains the basal taxa like Macgowania and Hudsonelpidia.[1] Maisch and Matzke (2000) found in their analysis seven synapomorphies that support Parvipelvia. They also found 10 synapomorphies that support the existence of post-Triassic clade of ichthyosaurs (all parvipelvians excluding Macgowania and Hudsonelpidia), for which the name Neoichthyosauria was found to be available.[2] Parvipelvians were the only ichthyosaurs to survive the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.