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