A New Specimen of Nothosaurus from the Latest Anisian (Middle Triassic) Besano Formation (Grenzbitumenzone) of Italy

A new specimen of Nothosaurus, a small nothosaur, has been discovered from the latest Anisian (Middle Triassic) Besano Formation at Monte San Giorgio, Italy. This nearly complete but disarticulated skeleton provides significant insights into the osteology of N. juvenilis and suggests the coexistence of sympatric Nothosaurus species characterized by size and potentially trophic differentiation in the Monte San Giorgio area, similar to patterns observed in the coeval Germanic Basin. The specimen's postcranial skeleton supports its assignment to the genus Nothosaurus while excluding it from N. giganteus/Paranothosaurus amsleri, known from nearby Swiss localities. Although the skull is largely absent, preserved cranial elements hint at similarities with N. juvenilis, further enhancing our understanding of this species.

RENESTO, S. I. L. V. I. O. (2010). A NEW SPECIMEN OF NOTHOSAURUS FROM THE LATEST ANISIAN (MIDDLE TRIASSIC) BESANO FORMATION (GRENZBITUMENZONE) OF ITALY. Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, Vol 116, No 2. https://doi.org/10.13130/2039-4942/5946