In Depth Yuzhoupliosaurus was an interesting find as it was the first rhomaleosaurid pliosaur to be discovered outside of Europe. Rhomaleosaurids like Yuzhoupliosaurus were long necked pliosaurs that looked somewhere between the plesiosaurs like Plesiosaurus, and the shorter necked, large skulled forms like Simolestes and Liopleurodon. Yuzhoupliosaurus itself would have likely been a predator of … Read more
Cyamodus: Research Database Marine Reptilia · Triassic · Europe Research Note: Cyamodus was a significant placodont marine reptile from the Triassic of Europe, providing important data on marine reptile evolution and adaptation during the Triassic period. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Klein & Scheyer 2012: Cyamodus and placodont diversity in … Read more
In Depth The holotype remains of Vinialesaurus were initially known as a species of Cryptoclidus when it was first described in 1949, but later study has now revealed that there is enough difference between the Vinialesaurus holotype remains of other fossils of Cryptoclidus. As a cryptoclidid plesiosaur, Vinialesaurus would have likely been one of the … Read more
Dolichorhynchops: Research Database Polycotylidae (Plesiosauria) · Late Cretaceous (~83–72 MYA) · North America — USA (Kansas, Texas, New Mexico) Research Note: Dolichorhynchops was a polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America. As a short-necked polycotylid, it provides important data on marine reptile diversity and ecology in the Cretaceous Western … Read more
In Depth Honghesaurus is a genus of pachypleurosaur that lived during the Middle Triassic. Further Reading - A long-tailed marine reptile from China provides new insights into the Middle Triassic pachypleurosaur radiation. - Scientific Reports. 12 (1) - Guang-Hui Xu, Yi Ren, Li-Jun Zhao, Jun-Ling Liao & Dong-Hao Feng - 2022.
Djupedalia: Research Database Mesozoic · Fossil Record Research Note: Djupedalia was a significant fossil species providing important data on vertebrate evolution. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Vincent & Bardet 2007: Djupedalia and plesiosaur diversity in the Jurassic Neues Jahrbuch Confirmed A 2007 Fossil Vincent & Bardet, Neues Jahrbuch Diversity Vincent … Read more
In Depth Wunyelfia is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that lived in waters around South America during the late Cretaceous. Further reading - Wunyelfia maulensis gen. et sp. nov., a new basal aristonectine (Plesiosauria, Elasmosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of central Chile. - Cretaceous Research. 118: Article 104651. - Rodrigo A. Otero & Sergio Soto-Acu�a … Read more
In Depth Discosaurus is a genus of plesiosaur that is known to have swam in the waters of the Western Interior Seaway during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - [Descriptions of a number of fossil reptiles and mammals] . - Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 5:325-328. - J. Leidy - 1851. … Read more
In Depth Kronosaurus is one of the more famous fossil discoveries to come from Australia, and as a huge short-necked pliosaur, Kronosaurus would have been an apex predator of the waters it swam in. The teeth of Kronosaurus are conical and up to thirty centimetres long, although most of that was root with up to … Read more
Hauffiosaurus: Research Database Temnodontosauridae (Ichthyosauria) · Early Jurassic (~183–180 MYA) · Europe — Germany (Holzmaden) Research Note: Hauffiosaurus was a temnodontosaurid ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic Posidonia Shale (Holzmaden) of Germany. As one of the best-preserved Early Jurassic ichthyosaurs — with exceptional soft tissue and body outline preservation — it provides critical data on … Read more