Plate 19
Platypterygius australis, forefin of QM F3348. Scale measures 100 mm.
Holotype: UWGM VP50, most of the postcranial skeleton.
Diagnosis: As for genus.
Occurrence: Wyoming, USA; Hay River, on the border
between Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Canada.
Stratigraphic range: Mo wry Shale (Graneros Formation;
Wyoming) and Loon River Formation (western Canada);
Lower Cretaceous-lowest Upper Cretaceous (Albian-Ce-
nomanian).
Remarks: As discussed elsewhere (McGowan, 1972C: 27),
the differences between Nace’s species M. americanus and
M. petersoni are attributable to differences in maturity and
to compressional distortion.
Platypterygius australis (M’Coy, 1867)
Fig. 98; PI. 19
Ichthyosaurus australis M ’Coy, 1867: 355
Ichthyosaurus australis; M’Coy 1869: 77
Ichthyosaurus marathonensis Etheridge, 1888: 408
Ichthyosaurus australis; Jack & Etheridge, 1892: 505
Ichthyosaurus marathonensis; Jack & Etheridge, 1892: 506
Myopterygius marathonensis; H uene, 1922: 98
Ichthyosaurus australis; Longman, 1922: 255
Ichthyosaurus australis; Longman, 1935: 236
Ichthyosaurus australis; Longman, 1943: 101
Platypterygius australis; McGowan, 1972C: 17
Platypterygius australis; Wade, 1984: 100
Platypterygius longmani Wade, 1990: 120
Holotype: Numerous vertebrae, the whereabouts o f which
are uncertain (W ade, 1984: 99).
Diagnosis: Rostrum probably with a foramen anterior to
external naris.
Occurrence: Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia.
Stratigraphic range: Toolebuc Formation and Allaru Mudstone
(Queensland) and Bathurst Island Formation (Northern
Territory); Lower Cretaceous (Albian).
Remarks: Shortly after his brief initial description of the
species, M’Coy (1869) described more material, including
part of the skull and forefin. Wade (1984:99) noted that this
material is housed in the National Museum of Victoria
(P12989 and P12991). In a later paper, Wade (1990), concerned
by the apparent loss of the holotype, expressed the
Fig. 99. Caypullisaurus bonapartei. A-B) holotype (MACN-N-32): A) complete skeleton. B) skull, redrawn to show only the left side.
C) skull (MLP 85T-15-1), drawn from photograph, showing only right side. D) partial forefin (MLP 83-XL-16-1, right, dorsal view),
E ) reconstruction of the entire forefin of the holotype, depicted as a left fin, dorsal view. All redrawn from Fer n ä n d e z (1997A). Scales
measure 1 m, 500 mm, 500 mm, 100 mm, and 100 mm, respectively.