SilesianTriassic

Sauropterygia indet.

Dating uncertain – Upper Röt or Lower Muschelkalk (Anisian)

Upper Silesia, Poland

The specimen is a bone fragment from an unidentified Middle Triassic Sauropterygia.

The fragment is a flat bone with a rounded edge. Cross-sections reveal that the right side of the bone is thicker and tapers toward the left.

The bone’s surface reveals a distinct radial texture running from the bottom toward the upper, rounded edge. The upper edge reveals two depressions, but it is difficult to clearly determine whether these represent bone damage or morphological features.

The fossil appears to be a fragment of one of the girdle bones. – coracoid, ischium or pubis. This is indicated by its flat, “plate-like” shape, which is inconsistent with the other bones.

Given its shape and texture, it can be assumed to be a fragment of the coracoid. This interpretation is supported by one of the depressions on the upper edge, resembling a coracoid foramen. The previously mentioned cross-section of the bone also corresponds to the coracoid. Given these features, other girdle bones are less consistent, though not entirely excluded.