Marine reptiles from Nevada: Recovery of a Middle Triassic pregnant ichthyosaur and the first unequivocally Lower Triassic ichthyosaurs from North America

内华达州的三叠纪是海洋爬行动物化石最丰富和最重要的地区之一。特别是内华达州中北部的奥古斯塔山脉出土了许多保存完好的化石，尤其是鱼龙。我们在此申请资金用于恢复和后续研究一只中等大小的怀孕鱼龙，它代表了海洋爬行动物中最古老的活胎证据之一；2)三条下三叠世鱼龙，北美最古老的原位鱼龙。这项工作是在我们小组对奥古斯塔山脉其他几个重要而独特的发现的描述之后进行的。该研究将有助于更好地了解鱼龙的内部和相互关系、进化以及它们在二叠纪末灭绝后的快速分类和形态多样化。

The Triassic of Nevada is one of the richest and most important localities for fossil marine reptiles. In particular the Augusta Mountains in north-central Nevada have yielded numerous well-preserved fossils, in particular ichthyosaurs. We here apply for funding for the recovery and and subsequent study of a medium-sized pregnant ichthyosaur, representing one of the oldest evidences of live-bearing in marine reptiles, and 2) of three Lower Triassic ichthyosaurs, the oldest in-situ ichthyosaurs from North America. This work follows on the heals of description of several other important and unique finds from the Augusta Mountains by our group. The research will contribute to a better understanding of the intra- and interrelationships and evolution of ichthyosaurs as well as their rapid taxonomic and morphological diversification after the end-Permian extinction.