Attenborosaurus

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

Photograph of the holotype of Attenborosaurus, before it was destroyed. The skeleton was mounted in a block together with a cast of the opposite side of the body and the opposite side of the head (from Swinton, 1949)

Attenborosaurus is an unusual plesiosaur because it combines a long neck with a relatively large head. It is classified as a pliosaur in some classifications, but some phylogenies place it in a more basal position. The genus was introduced for 'Plesiosaurus' conybeari, a species originally described by Sollas (1881). Bob Bakker coined…

Archaeonectrus

Post author:Adam S. Smith
Post published:21/07/2018
Post category:Genus page Plesiosauria Pliosauroidea Rhomaleosauridae

Archaeonectrus illustration (From Novozhilov 1964)

The genus Archaeonectrus was proposed by Novozhilov (1964) for 'Plesiosaurus' rostratus, a species named by Owen (1865). By modern standards, Owen's (1865) original description is rather inadequate. One notable characteristic of Archaeonectrus rostratus is the relatively small size of the limbs relative to its body. It has been classified as a pliosauroid,…