Category «Plesiosauria»

Thalassiodracon

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).

Plesiosaurus

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.