Kyhytysuka (meaning the one that cuts with something sharp) is an extinct genus of ophthalmosaurian ichthyosaur that lived in Colombia during the Early Cretaceous period.[1] The type species is Kyhytysuka sachicarum.
Discovery and naming[]
The first ichthyosaur fossil remains were discovered in Paja Formation of Villa de Leyva, Colombia in the 1970s.[2] The fossil then directly described as a new species of Platypterygius. However, the taxon largely went ignored, and further research on these ichthyosaurs rendered the genus of Platypterygius as taxonomically problematic. In 2021, Cortés published a redescription of the holotype (DON-19671) and found out that it is a distinct genus. The generic name combines two Muisca languages, kyhyty and suka, while the specific name is named after the town of Sáchica.
Description[]
It is a medium-sized icthyosaur, with the largest specimen (CIP-GA-01042014) reaching around 5 meters (16ft) in length. Its entire skull measures 940 mm in length from the tip of the premaxilla to the posterior end of the mandible. The premaxilla is relatively robust. its dentition is unique by that long,continuous groove in premaxilla, maxilla, and the dentary. According to calculations based on Cohen, the relative stress throughout the upper dentition follows a linear path through the first four dental zones, not following the different zones.
Classification[]
It is classified as a member of Brachypterygiidae.
Paleobiology[]
Its teeth are specialized in shredding and grabbing large vertebrates.