Thaumatodracon

Post author:Adam S. Smith
Post published:16/10/2020
Post category:Genus page Plesiosauria Pliosauroidea Rhomaleosauridae

The holotype specimen, laid out in dorsal view.

Thaumatodracon is a relatively large rhomaleosaurid from the Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian) of Lyme Bay – the coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth – UK. The holotype specimen (NLMH 106.058) is an almost complete skull and cervical (neck) series. It has a 60 cm long skull, and based on comparison with other rhomaleosaurids I estimate its total body length to be 6.5...

Plesiosaurus

Post author:Adam S. Smith
Post published:22/07/2018
Post category:Genus page Plesiosauria Plesiosauroidea

Reconstruction of Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus in lateral view. From Conybeare (1824).

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. An attempted reconstruction of the forelimb of Plesiosaurus by De la Beche and Conybeare (1821)....