Fossils

Protanystropheus antiquus cervical vertebra assoc. Reptilia indet. cervical rib, 20/LMK?

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in Tanystropheidae, Lower Muschelkalk, Ribs, Vertebrae

Protanystropheus antiquus (“Tanystropheus antiquus”) is an extremely rare find in Lower Muschelkalk sediments, whose systematic position is still uncertain.
Placodontia indet., humerus fragment, 19/LMK

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in Placodontia, Limbs, Lower Muschelkalk

Placodontia indet. Middle Triassic, Lower Muschelkalk (Anisian), Gogolin Beds Upper Silesia, Poland The specimen is most likely a distal fragment of a humerus (upper arm bone). The broad, flattened head and the strongly pachyostotic bone structure indicate a placodont. A distinct groove is visible on the left side of the head, a feature noted by…
Polyacrodus sp., tooth, 9/UMK

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in Chondrichthyes, Teeth, Upper Muschelkalk

Polyacrodus sp. Middle Triassic, Upper Muschelkalk (Ladinian), Upper Silesia, Poland A beautifully preserved specimen of a shark tooth crown, Polyacrodus sp., belonging to the order Hybodontiformes. My observations indicate that the teeth of these sharks are significantly less numerous in the Ladinian sediments of Upper Silesia than those of other hybodonts. This is the only…
Nothosaurus sp., left coracoid, 18/LMK

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in Nothosauria, Limbs, Lower Muschelkalk

Specimen of Nothosaurus sp., left coracoid in ventral view. Lower Muschelkalk, Gogolin Beds, Upper Silesia, Poland
Nothosaurus sp., vertebral neural arch, 17/LMK

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in Nothosauria, Lower Muschelkalk, Vertebrae

Nothosaurus sp. Neural arch. Gogolin Beds. Upper Silesia. Poland – The specimen is a beautifully preserved neural arch (in dorsal view). Considering its shape and size, it can be fairly safely assigned to the genus Nothosaurus.
Parhybodus plicatilis, anterior tooth, 8/UMK

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in Chondrichthyes, Teeth, Upper Muschelkalk

A well-preserved specimen of the anterior slender tooth of the hybodont shark Parhybodus plicatilis.
Acrodus sp, tooth, 7/UMK

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in Chondrichthyes, Teeth, Upper Muschelkalk

A beautifully preserved tooth crown from Acrodus sp.. The root is missing, suggesting it was much less durable than the crown itself. In fact, these occasionally broken (though still recognizable) crowns are often the only identifiable elements in the “fishy mess” of vertebrate remains I encounter.
Pistosaurus longaevus, vertebra, 6/UMK

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in Pistosauroidea, Upper Muschelkalk, Vertebrae

A beautiful specimen of a nearly complete vertebra of Pistosaurus longaevus. Middle Triassic, Upper Muschelkalk (Ladinian), Upper Silesia, Poland
Ichthyosauria indet. (cf. Mixosaurus sp.), vertebra centrum, 16/LMK

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in Ichthyosauria, Lower Muschelkalk, Vertebrae

Ichthyosauria indet. (cf. Mixosaurus sp.) Middle Triassic, Lower Gogolin Beds, Upper Silesia, Poland Ichthyosaur remains are extremely rare in the Muschelkalk deposits of Upper Silesia. The photos show a single vertebral centrum – though slightly damaged, it clearly displays the diagnostic features that allow for its assignment to this group of extinct marine reptiles (most…
Sauropterygia cf. Nothosaurus, rib, 15/LMK

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in Sauropterygia, Lower Muschelkalk, Ribs

Sauropterygia cf. Nothosaurus Middle Triassic, Gogolin Beds, Upper Silesia, Poland A rare find of a complete rib of this size from Sauropterygia indet. (probably Nothosaurus). The bone structure is clearly pachystotic – the rib is massive and the tissue dense. This structure is a primitive adaptation to aquatic life – the heavy bones acted as ballast,…