Redescription of the dental features of an Early Triassic ichthyosaur,Utatsusaurus hataii

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Utatsusaurus hataii is represented by exceptionally well preserved material for an Early Triassic ichthyosaur, but the preparation was incomplete at the time of the original description. Preparation of the holotype reveals new information concerning dental features. A principal diagnostic character of U. hataii is its isodont dentition, originally described as comprising very slender, needle-sharp teeth set in distinct alveoli. That description was based largely on an equivocal radiograph of a poorly prepared referred specimen, whose specific assignation to U. hataii is not well established. The teeth of the holotype are shown to be robust, with blunt points, and are set in a dental groove, not as previously described.