Tricleidus is a cryptoclidid from the Oxford Clay Formation of the UK. The holotype specimen (NHMUK R 3539) consists of disarticulated elements including most of skull and half the postcranium, from the Kosmoceras jasoni – Peltoceras athleta zones from the lowest deposits of the Oxford Clay Formation.
Thililua has 30 cervical vertebrae. Each cervical has a longitudinal ridge on its lateral surfaces, this is a convergent feature with elasmosaurids. The skull of Thililua is relatively large with a short postorbital region and elongate rostrum.
The holotype of Thalassomedon was discovered by R. L. Landberg in 1939 in Baca County, Colorado. Thalassomedon has a short and deep atlas-axis and 62 cervical vertebrae, and there is no pectoral or pelvic bar in the adult condition (Carpenter 1999).
The species Plesiosaurus hawkinsii was introduced in 1838 for a small plesiosaurian from Street, Somerset. The new genus name Thalassiodracon was erected decades later following an examination of a referred skull in Cambridge (CAMSM J.46986). Thalassiodracon means ‘Sea Dragon’, which “alludes to the colloquial description given to the Street marine reptile fauna by Hawkins” (Storrs and Taylor 1996, p.404).
Simolestes has variously been allied with the Pliosauridae and the Rhomaleosauridae. The most noticeable difference between Simolestes and the other pliosaur taxa from the Oxford Clay (Liopleurodon, Peloneustes, Pachycostasaurus), is its much shorter snout and mandibular symphysis, a character is shares with the Rhomaleosauridae.
Rhomaleosaurus is the largest known Lower Jurassic pliosaur and was the top predator in early Jurassic marine ecosystems. It has a reinforced skull to help resist torsion and a ferocious set of teeth, a combination of characters perfect for snatching and killing cephalopods, fish, and other marine reptiles.
Plesiosaurus was the first plesiosaur discovered and named (De la Beche and Conybeare 1821). The first 1821 description was based on partial remains so the anatomy of Plesiosaurus – particularly the identity of the isolated bones and how they articulated together – involved some guesswork.
Peloneustes is one of several pliosaur genera from the Oxford Clay Formation in the UK. It is one of the better known pliosaurs from this horizon, represented by 12 nearly complete skulls and several skeletons. It is also the most abundant pliosaur from the Peterborough Member of the Oxford Clay Formation (Ketchum and Benson 2011b).
