The Middle Triassic marine reptile biodiversity in the Germanic Basin, in the centre of the Pangaean world

A rich diversity of Middle Triassic marine reptiles, including sauropterygians and ichthyosaurs, has been identified in the Germanic Basin near Bayreuth, Germany. These fossils, preserved in shallow marine sediments, reveal distinct ecological adaptations: placodonts like Placodus gigas thrived in macroalgae meadow environments, while pistosaurs and ichthyosaurs likely migrated from open oceans to reproduce in these shallow waters. The study highlights parallels with contemporaneous sites like Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland/Italy) and Perledo (Italy), suggesting shared paleoenvironments across the Pangaean supercontinent. New skeletal reconstructions based on 3D-preserved remains provide deeper insights into the biodiversity and ecological niches of these ancient reptiles.

Diedrich, C. (2012). The Middle Triassic marine reptile biodiversity in the Germanic Basin, in the centre of the Pangaean world. Open Geosciences, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13533-011-0060-0