Overview
- Researchers led by Gaël Spicher formally describe Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis in the journal Fossil Record based on material from northern Bavaria.
- Two nearly complete skeletons and a separate snout from the Lower Jurassic Mistelgau clay pit underpin the species assignment.
- The species is distinguished by an extremely elongated upper jaw, unusually robust ribs, and a unique articulation between skull and neck.
- The fossils are preserved three‑dimensionally rather than flattened, enabling detailed anatomical analysis and detection of bone pathologies.
- Dated to about 175 million years ago, the specimens are among the youngest known Eurhinosaurus, and one shows bone changes that could indicate deep‑diving behavior.