Fresnosaurus

Fresnosaurus: Research Database Mesozoic · Fossil Record   Research Note: Fresnosaurus was a significant fossil species providing important data on vertebrate evolution.   Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Bastiaans & Kroll 2020: Fresnosaurus and mosasaur diversity in the Cretaceous Cretaceous Research Confirmed A 2020 Fossil Bastiaans & Kroll, Cretaceous Research Diversity O’Gorman … Read more

Albertonectes

Albertonectes: Research Database Plesiosauria (Sauropterygia) · Late Cretaceous (~70 MYA) · North America — Canada (Alberta)   Research Note: Albertonectes was a long-necked plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada — known for its extraordinarily long neck and an important taxon for understanding plesiosaur evolution.   Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact … Read more

Alexandronectes

In Depth        Described from a single partially preserved skull,‭ ‬Alexandronectes was an elasmosaurid plesiosaur that swam in the waters around what is now New Zealand during the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬These were dangerous waters as fossils of large mosasaurs such as Taniwhasaurus are also known from the same formation as Alexandronectes,‭ ‬and these predators were certainly … Read more

Terminonatator

terminonatator

In Depth        With remains that were found in Campanian age rocks Terminonatator‭ ‬was possibly one of the last elasmosaurid plesiosaurs to swim in the ocean.‭ ‬This is a far cry away from the Jurassic heyday of the plesiosaurs when they were one of the most common types of marine reptile in the ocean.‭ ‬In the … Read more

Fluvionectes

In Depth        Fluvionectes is‭ ‬a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬The first fossils of this genus were recovered from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Canada,‭ ‬a location that has yielded numerous though fragmentary and scattered plesiosaur fossil for some time.‭ ‬Perhaps the most stand out fact about … Read more

Nakonanectes

In Depth        Nakonanectes is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that would have hunted in the Western interior seaway during the late Cretaceous period.‭ ‬Nakonanectes is noted for having short cervical vertebrae and an estimated length of only about five and a half meters at most for the holotype individual.‭ ‬This is small for an elasmosaurid … Read more

Aphrosaurus

In Depth        Aphrosaurus seems to have been a middle sized lightweight elasmosaurid plesiosaur.‭ ‬Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs‭ (‬those similar to Elasmosaurus‭) ‬are known for having proportionately long legs,‭ ‬and like with others,‭ ‬half of the total length of Aphrosaurus was neck.‭ ‬This neck was one of the primary feeding adaptations that would have allowed it to reach … Read more

Callawayasaurus

Caihong: Research Database Ornithothoraces (Aves) · Late Jurassic (~161 MYA) · Asia — China (Hebei, Tiaojishan Formation)   Research Note: Caihong was an early ornithothoracean bird from the Late Jurassic of Hebei, China. Famous for its iridescent feather coloration preserved in the fossil — making it the oldest known dinosaur/early bird with evidence of colorful … Read more

Morenosaurus

Morenosaurus: Research Database Plesiosauria (Reptilia) · Late Jurassic (~155 MYA) · North America — USA (California)   Research Note: Morenosaurus was a plesiosaur from the Late Jurassic of California — an important taxon for understanding plesiosaur evolution in the Jurassic of North America.   Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Vincent & Bardet … Read more

Alexeyisaurus

Alexeyisaurus: Research Database Reptilia (Ichthyosauromorpha) · Early Triassic (~250 MYA) · Asia — Russia   Research Note: Alexeyisaurus was an early ichthyosauromorph from the Early Triassic of Russia — significant for understanding the early evolutionary diversification of marine reptiles after the Permian-Triassic extinction event.   Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Maisch & … Read more