Microcleididae

Under construction

Lusonectes is a poorly known microcleidid the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Portugal. It is known from a single holotype specimen (MG33), a partial skull in the Museu Geológico, Lisbon, Portugal. It was described and named by Smith et al.

Microcleidus is a medium (4.27 m) to large (5.03 m) plesiosauroid with a small head and a long neck containing 38–39 cervical vertebrae.

Watson (1909) erected Microcleidus to accommodate fossil material belonging to ‘P.’ homalospondylus and ‘P.’ macropterus (Watson 1911).

‘Occitanosaurus’ was described by Sciau et al. (1990) and Bardet et al. (1999). The genus name was erected for ‘Plesiosaurus’ tournemirensis by Bardet et al. (1999). The taxon was originally regarded as an early elasmosaurid but is now considered a member of the Microcleididae.

Under construction

Skeleton of Westphaliasaurus. The central slab of the skeleton was awaiting preparation at the time of this photograph, but was subsequently prepared. From Schwermann & Sander (2011).