Fig. 3 in A large marine eosauropterygian reptile with affinities to nothosauroid diapsids from the Early Triassic of British Columbia, Canada

Fig. 3. Early Triassic map showing occurrences of Early Triassic (Olenekian) and Middle Triassic (Anisian) with potential apex predators in the respective marine ecosystems. Larger Eosauropterygia are represented by a nothosaur-shape and larger Ichthyopterygia by an ichthyosaur-shape. 1, Nevada and Idaho, USA: ichthyopterygian Thalattoarchon (Anisian), "Cymbospondylus"-like, shastasaur-like ichthyopterygians and Cymbospondylus spp. (Smithian/Spathian–Anisian); 2, British Columbia, Canada: Sauropterygia cf. Nothosauroidea indet. (TMP 1995.116.0023) (Smithian/Spathian–Anisian); 3, Svalbard: "Cymbospondylus" like ichthyopterygians or Pessopteryx? (Smithian/Spathian–Anisian); 4, Central Europe: Cymbospondylus buchseri; Nothosaurus giganteus (Anisian); 5, Luoping, southern China: Nothosaurus zhangi (Anisian). Please note that, although there are Spathian age eosauropterygians and ichthyosaurs known from Anhui Province, eastern China, these are not considered large predators herein, although they could still be apex-predators in their respective ecosystems (compare to Hansen and Galetti 2009). It is further noteworthy that the reptile record from the Smithian is virtually inexistent, with maybe the exception of a few isolated bones (e.g., Massare and Callaway 1994), which so far supports an early rapid dispersal of reptiles mainly during the Spathian. Data and map modified from Scheyer et al. 2014 and Romano et al. 2017, with additions by Fröbisch et al. 2013; Maxwell and Kear 2013; Liu et al. 2014. Abbreviations: Dien., Dienerian; G., Griesbachian; M. Trias., Middle Triassic; Smith., Smithian.