Rachitrema
Encyclopedia
Rachitrema is a poorly-known genus
of prehistoric reptile from the Triassic
of France
. Its remains were found in France by two independent collectors, towards the end of the nineteenth century. They were only isolated bone fragments.
The result of such minimal findings is that the classification of this creature is uncertain. It has variously been described as a dinosaur
and an ichthyosaur
. For this reason, the scientific classification data that are provided in this article are minimal. Opinion leans toward the classification with ichthyosaurs. Some of the material was described as ichthyosaurian in the 1990s, and the rest of the fossils were from an indeterminate reptile.
The type species
is R. pellati, described by Sauvage in 1883.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of prehistoric reptile from the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Its remains were found in France by two independent collectors, towards the end of the nineteenth century. They were only isolated bone fragments.
The result of such minimal findings is that the classification of this creature is uncertain. It has variously been described as a dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
and an ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins...
. For this reason, the scientific classification data that are provided in this article are minimal. Opinion leans toward the classification with ichthyosaurs. Some of the material was described as ichthyosaurian in the 1990s, and the rest of the fossils were from an indeterminate reptile.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is R. pellati, described by Sauvage in 1883.