This gallery contains line drawings and historical lithographs of plesiosaur bones and skeletons, including reconstructed skulls and skeletons. The images are ordered alphabetically by genus name.
Skeleton of <i>Archaeonectrus</i>. Lithograph from Owen (1865).Skull of <i>Aristonectes</i> in various aspects. From Gasparini et al. (2003).Skulls of various basal (non-plesiosaurian) sauropterygians in dorsal view (Compiled and modified from Storrs 1993)Skeleton of <i>Bobosaurus</i>, preserved in situ. From Dalla Vecchia (2006)Skull of <i>Brancasaurus</i> in dorsal and lateral view, and showing the tip of the snout (C) in ventral view (from Wegner, 1914)Skull of <i>Callawayasaurus</i> in lateral and dorsal view. From Welles (1962).Skull of <i>Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni</i> in A. dorsal and B. ventral view. (scale bars = 30cm) From Smith and Dyke (2008).Skeleton of <i>Cryptoclidus</i> in lateral view. From Brown (1981).Skull of <i>Cryptoclidus</i> in lateral view. From Brown (1981).Skeleton of <i>Eretmosaurus</i>. Lithograph from Owen (1865).Skeleton of <i>Hydrotherosaurus</i> in lateral view, from Welles (1943).Skull of <i>Hydrotherosaurus</i> in dorsal and lateral view, from Welles (1943).Skull of <i>Kaiwhekea</i>. From Cruickshank and Fordyce (2002).Mandible of <i>Kimmerosaurus</i> in dorsal view. From Brown (1981).Skull of <i>Kimmerosaurus</i>. From Brown (1981).Skull of <i>Leptocleidus capensis</i> in dorsal view (from Cruickshank, 1997)Skull of <i>Leptocleidus capensis</i> in lateral view (from Cruickshank, 1997)Skull of <i>Leptocleidus capensis</i> in ventral view (from Cruickshank, 1997)Cranium of <i>Leptocleidus superstes</i> (lateral view, top left; ventral (palatal) view, top right) and vertebrae. Length of vertebral series approx. 45cm (from Andrews, 1922)Pectoral girdle of <i>Leptocleidus superstes</i> in dorsal view (left), anterior view (top right), lateral view (bottom right), right humerus (center), and ribs (left)Length of pectoral girdle approx. 40cm (from Andrews, 1922).Skull of <i>Libonectes</i>, showing details of internal structure and braincase. Modified from Carpenter (1997).Skull of <i>Libonectes</i>. Modified from Carpenter (1997).Skull of <i>Liopleurodon rossicus</i>. From Novozhilov (1948).Skull of <i>Liopleurodon ferox</i> in dorsal and ventral view. From Andrews (1897).Skeleton of <i>Liopleurodon ferox </i> in dorsal view. From Newman and Tarlo (1967). This reconstruction is probably a composite of several specimens of <i>Liopleurodon</i> and <i>Pliosaurus</i>. Skeleton and muscular reconstruction of <i>Liopleurodon ferox</i> in lateral view. From Newman and Tarlo (1967). This reconstruction is probably a composite of several specimens of <i>Liopleurodon</i> and <i>Pliosaurus</i>. Skull of <i>Maresaurus</i> in lateral, dorsal and ventral view. From Gasparini (1997).Skeleton of <i>Meyerasarurus</i> in ventral view. By Adam S. Smith.Skeleton (lectotype specimen NHMUK PV OR 36184) of the <i>Microcleidus homalospondylus</i>. Lithograph from Owen (1865).Skull of <i>Microcleidus</i> in lateral view. From Brown (1993).Skull of <i>Morturneria</i> in lateral view. From Chaterjee and Small (1989).Skull of <i>Morturneria</i> in ventral view. From Chaterjee and Small (1989).Anterior cervical (neck) vertebra of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in lateral and posterior view. From Andrews (1910).Anterior caudal (tail) vertebrae of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in various views. From Andrews (1910).
Limbs of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in ventral views. A. hindlimb, B. forelimb From Andrews (1910).Pectoral girdle of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in doral and lateral view. From Andrews (1910).Dorsal vertebra of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in anterior view. From Andrews (1910)Posterior cervical (neck) vertebra of <i>Muraenosaurus</i> in lateral and posterior view. From Andrews (1910).Pectoral and pelvic girdles of <i>Occitanosaurus</i> in dorsal view. From Bardet et al. (1999).Skull of <i>Occitanosaurus</i> in dorsal view. From Bardet et al. (1999).‘Ogmodirus’ vertebrae. From Williston & Moodie (1917)Skull of <i>Plesiosaurus</i> dolichodeirus in lateral view. From Storrs (1996).Skull of <i>Plesiosaurus</i> dolichodeirus in dorsal and ventral views. From Storrs (1996).Skull of <i>Peloneustes</i>. Skeleton of <i>Pistosaurus</i> in lateral view. From Carroll (1988).Skull of <i>Pistosaurus</i> in dorsal view. From Rieppel (1988).Skull of <i>Pliosaurus kevani</i> in right lateral view. From Benson et. al. (2013).Skeleton of <i>Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni</i> in dorsal view. From Carte and Baily (1963).Reconstruction of the skeleton of <i>Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni</i> from Smith & Benson (2014).Skull of <i>Simolestes</i> in dorsal and ventral view, a cervical vertebra in various views, and a tooth. From Andrews (1913).Skull of <i>Terminonatator</i> in left lateral view. From Sato (2003)Skull of <i>Terminonatator</i> in right lateral view. From Sato (2003).Skull and neck of <i>Thililua</i> in right lateral view. From Bardet et. al. (2003).Palate of <i>Tricleidus</i> in lateral view. From Brown (1981).Skull of Tricleidus in lateral view. From Brown (1981).<i>Mauriciosaurus</i>