Platypterygius hercynicus – One of the Most Complete Cretaceous Ichthyosaurs
Platypterygius hercynicus is one of the most complete ichthyosaurs known from the Cretaceous. The holotype specimen was discovered in December 1940 in a mine called Schachtanlage Georg near Gitter, now part of Salzgitter in northern Germany. The fossil was found at a depth of 100 meters, which made recovering the bones difficult. Although the specimen was initially complete, some bones were damaged or lost. Further damage was apparently done during the initial preparation, as noted by Kuhn (1946).
Shortly after its discovery, the specimen was transferred to Halle an der Saale, where Oskar Kuhn (1908–1990) had the opportunity to study it. Kuhn also carried out the final preparation and drafted a manuscript. This manuscript was eventually published in 1946, although it had originally been intended for publication in Nova Acta Leopoldina, a journal of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina [German Academy of Natural Scientists], based in Halle. However, it was rejected for political reasons.
This rejection may have been linked to a likely political dispute between Kuhn and his superior, Johannes Weigelt, which led to Kuhn losing his right to teach. As a result, he had to leave the university in 1942. After World War II, Kuhn became a professor in Bamberg and later moved to Munich. He is well known for publishing numerous books, both scientific and popular, on fossil reptiles from Germany.
In his 1946 publication, Kuhn named the specimen Ichthyosaurus (Platypterygius) hercynicus. The species name hercynicus refers to the Harz Mountains, a mountain range in central Germany. Salzgitter lies in the so-called Harzvorland [Harz foreland].
The ichthyosaur specimen remained in Halle and became part of the collection of the Geological-Palaeontological Institute. Following World War II, Halle became part of the German Democratic Republic, while Salzgitter was located on the other side of the Iron Curtain in the Federal Republic of Germany. After German reunification, the specimen could finally be returned to the region where it had been found. Although it remains the technical property of the institute in Halle, it is now on display at Museum Schloss Salder in Salzgitter.
The specimen is Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) in age and was approximately 5 meters long. A redescription of the holotype was provided by Kolb & Sander (2009). Additional material from the late Albian of Saint−Jouin−Bruneval in France has later been described Fischer (2012).
In May 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Museum Schloss Salder and see the specimen I had heard about for a long time. The exhibit, which also features other fossils found in the area, is very well done. It is located in the basement of a former castle, Schloss Salder. In addition to the original bones displayed in a row of glass cases, there is also a mounted and nicely illuminated cast with the missing elements reconstructed. This gives a clear impression of what the complete skeleton would have looked like.
References
Kolb, & Sander, P.M. (2009) Redescription of the ichthyosaur Platypterygius hercynicus (Kuhn 1946) from the Lower Cretaceous of Salzgitter (Lower Saxony, Germany). Palaeontographica Abteilung A 288 (4-6): 151-192.
