Article: A new species of the sauropterygian Cymatosaurus from the Lower Muschelkalk of Thuringia, Germany

The sauropterygian Cymatosaurus, C. minor sp. nov., from the Lower Muschelkalk of Hetschburg near Bad Berka, Thuringia, Germany, is described. It differs from other species of its genus by its relatively small overall size, the development of a parietal sagittal crest, a comparatively long and narrow upper temporal fossa, the anterior extent of the parietals reaches to a level well in front of the posterior margins of the orbits, and the vomers are fused. The acid-prepared skull preserves some interesting anatomical detail, and documents for Cymatosaurus the same derived course of the internal carotid through the basicranium that has previously been described for Nothosaurus and Simosaurus. A detailed geographical and stratigraphical analysis of the occurrence of the genera Nothosaurus and Cymatosaurus in the Muschelkalk suggests competitive exclusion between the two genera.