Earliest long-necked sauropterygian <i>Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis</i> and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles

doi:10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1

IVPP-IR

	*Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis* and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles**
	Wang, Wei 1; Shang, Qinghua 1; Wang, Jiansheng 2; Zi, Hongke 3; Li, Chun1
	2025-11-11
发表期刊	COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
卷号	8 期号:1 页码:11
通讯作者	Shang, Qinghua(shangqinghua@ivpp.ac.cn)
摘要	A long neck is a morphological innovation in vertebrates, particularly iconic in many plesiosaurs, while the function of these long necks in plesiosaurs remains controversial. Here, we report Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis gen. et sp. nov. from a previously unknown early Middle Triassic locality in southwestern China. This taxon represents the earliest known sauropterygian evolving an exceptionally long neck with 42 cervical vertebrae, and is identified as a nothosaur rather than the immediate ancestors of plesiosaurs. Our discovery demonstrates that extreme cervical elongation developing more than 30 cervical vertebrae emerged in sauropterygians prior to the rise of plesiosaurs and their pistosaur ancestors. Furthermore, Lijiangosaurus possesses a unique type of accessory intervertebral articulation compared with other reptiles, and we attribute this structure to reducing body undulation. This discovery increases the known diversity of accessory intervertebral articulations in reptiles, and underscores the high plasticity of the vertebral column in the early evolution of sauropterygians.
DOI	10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1
关键词[WOS]	LOWER MUSCHELKALK ; YUNNAN PROVINCE ; ET-AL. ; NOTHOSAURUS ; INFORMATION ; SKELETON ; SKULL ; CYMATOSAURUS ; WINTERSWIJK ; OSTEOLOGY
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
资助项目	Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition on the Tibetan Plateau[2019QZKK0705]###1447 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[42472023]###3555 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[42002019]###2336 ; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences###1673 ; Chinese Academy of Sciences[XDB26000000]###354
项目资助者	Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition on the Tibetan Plateau ; National Natural Science Foundation of China ; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ; Chinese Academy of Sciences
WOS研究方向	Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics ; Science & Technology - Other Topics
WOS类目	Biology ; Multidisciplinary Sciences
WOS记录号	WOS:001612315500003
出版者	NATURE PORTFOLIO
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.205/handle/311034/25107
专题	中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所
通讯作者	Shang, Qinghua
作者单位	1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Vertebrate Paleontol & Paleoanthropol, Beijing, Peoples R China 2.Yunnan Biantun Cultural Museum Yongsheng, Lijiang, Yunnan, Peoples R China 3.Lijiang Municipal Adm Culture & Tourism, Lijiang, Yunnan, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Wang, Wei,Shang, Qinghua,Wang, Jiansheng,et al. Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles[J]. COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY,2025,8(1):11.
APA	Wang, Wei,Shang, Qinghua,Wang, Jiansheng,Zi, Hongke,&Li, Chun.(2025).Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles.COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY,8(1),11.
MLA	Wang, Wei,et al."Earliest long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and plasticity of vertebral evolution in sauropterygian marine reptiles".COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY 8.1(2025):11.