Kingdom Animalia Family Toretocnemidae Rank Genus | Class Sauropsida Phylum Chordata Order Ichthyosaur | |
Similar Californosaurus, Contectopalatus, Ichthyosaur, Chacaicosaurus, Himalayasaurus | ||
Toretocnemus is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur. Its remains have been found in California, U.S.A., in Triassic layers of the Carnian Hosselkus Limestone.
Toretocnemus was named in 1902 by John Campbell Merriam. The generic name is derived from Greek toretos, "perforated" and kneme, "shinbone". The type species is Toretocnemus californicus. Its holotype is UCMP 8100, a skeleton lacking the skull. Merriamia zitteli (Merriam 1903) Boulenger 1904, previously Leptocherius zitteli, was renamed Toretocnemus zitteli in 1999. Its holotype is UCMP 8099, a skull, lower jaws and front of the torso.
Toretocnemus is about two metres long.
References
Toretocnemus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA