Lusonectes is a poorly known microcleidid the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Portugal. It is known from a single holotype specimen (MG33), a partial skull in the Museu Geológico, Lisbon, Portugal. It was described and named by Smith et al. (2012) as the first diagnostic plesiosaur species from Portugal, and the westernmost occurrence…
Bishanopliosaurus is the most complete plesiosaur known from the Jurassic of Asia (Sato et al. 2003). The holotype specimen of the type species, B. youngi, is a partial postcranial skeleton of a juvenile individual from the Dongyuemiao Member of the Ziliujing Formation (Lower or Mid Jurassic) of Bishan County, Chongqing, China. It…
Microcleidus is a medium (4.27 m) to large (5.03 m) plesiosauroid with a small head and a long neck containing 38–39 cervical vertebrae. Watson (1909) erected Microcleidus to accommodate fossil material belonging to 'P.' homalospondylus and 'P.' macropterus (Watson 1911). Both species were considered valid by Seeley (1865), Blake (1876) and Watson (1911) on…
Hauffiosaurus is a basal pliosaurid known from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) of the UK and Germany. Hauffiosaurus is a medium to large sized plesiosaur (H. zanoni = 3.4 m, H. tomistomimus, 4.23 m, H. longirostris = 4.83 m) (Smith and Lomax 2019), with a relatively long neck for a pliosaur, and an…
Under construction Skeleton of Westphaliasaurus. The central slab of the skeleton was awaiting preparation at the time of this photograph, but was subsequently prepared. From Schwermann & Sander (2011).
Anningasaura is a basal plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic of Lyme Regis, UK, known from a single three-dimensionally preserved skull. The specimen, NHMUK OR49202, was originally described and figured by Andrews (1896), who referred it to 'Plesiosaurus' macrocephalus. It was redescribed and named as the holotype of Anningasaura lymense by Vincent and…
The holotype specimen (KUVP 1301) of Styxosaurus is an articulated skull and anterior portion of the neck. It was found in the Niobrara Chalk near Hell Creek, Logan County, Western Kansas in 1890. It was described later that year as a new species Cimoliosaurus snowii by Williston (1890a) (and in more detail soon…
Thaumatodracon is a relatively large rhomaleosaurid from the Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian) of Lyme Bay – the coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth – UK. The holotype specimen (NLMH 106.058) is an almost complete skull and cervical (neck) series. It has a 60 cm long skull, and based on comparison with other rhomaleosaurids I…
Avalonnectes is a small-bodied basal rhomaleosaurid. Avalonnectes was named by Benson, Evans and Druckenmiller (2012) for a partial skeleton including the rear part of the skull from the lowermost Jurassic of Street, Somerset, UK. The specimen (NHMUK PV OR 14550) was previously referred to Thalassiodracon hawkinsii and is one of many historical…
Under construction
