Microcleididae

Under construction

Under construction

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).

‘Occitanosaurus’ was described by Sciau et al. (1990) and Bardet et al. (1999). The genus name was erected for ‘Plesiosaurus’ tournemirensis by Bardet et al. (1999). The taxon was originally regarded as an early elasmosaurid but is now considered a member of the Microcleididae.

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).