Albertonectes

Genus:

Albertonectes

Author:

Kubo, Mitchell, and Henderson, 2012

Classification:

Age:

Middle part of the Late Campanian, Late Cretaceous

Location:

Near Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Referred material (sp.):

None

Type species:

A. vanderveldei

Species:

A. vanderveldi

Author:

Kubo, Mitchell and Henderson, 2012

Type specimen:

TMP 2007.011.0001, a substantially complete skeleton missing the skull

Age:

Middle part of the Late Campanian, Late Cretaceous

Horizon:

Bearpaw Formation

Type location:

Near Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Referred material:

None

Albertonectes is a very long-necked elasmosaurid from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. The holotype specimen (TMP 2007.0110001) consists of an almost complete skeleton lacking a skull (Kubo et al. 2012). The neck contains 76 cervical vertebrae, which is a unique character of Albertonectes vanderveldei and the highest number of neck vertebrae known for any plesiosaur, surpassing the previous record-holder (Elasmosaurus) by four vertebrae.

*Albertonectes* skeleton from Kubo et al. (2012).

The distal-most caudal vertebrae (27th to 33rd) of Albertonectes are fused into a pygostyle-like structure.

In popular culture, an Albertonectes plesiosaur called Poppy is the main character in the children’s picture book, The Plesiosaur’s Neck. The book explores the many different explanations for the plesiosaur’s extremely long neck. I’ve written a few articles about it on the Plesiosaur Bites blog.