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Elasmosauridae
Elasmosauridae is an extinct family of plesiosaurs, often called elasmosaurs. They had the longest necks of the plesiosaurs and existed from the Hauterivian to the Maastrichtian stages of the Cretaceous, and represented one of the two groups of plesiosaurs present at the end of the Cretaceous alongside Polycotylidae. Their diet mainly consisted of crustaceans and molluscs. Description The earliest elasmosaurids were mid-sized, about . In the Late Cretaceous, elasmosaurids grew as large as , such as '' Styxosaurus'', ''Albertonectes'', and '' Thalassomedon''. Their necks were the longest of all the plesiosaurs, with anywhere between 32 and 76 (''Albertonectes'') cervical vertebrae. They weighed up to several tons. Classification Early three-family classification Though Cope had originally recognized ''Elasmosaurus'' as a plesiosaur, in an 1869 paper he placed it, with ''Cimoliasaurus'' and ''Crymocetus'', in a new order of sauropterygian reptiles. He named the group Streptos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elasmosaurus
''Elasmosaurus'' (;) is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 80.5million years ago. The first specimen was discovered in 1867 near Fort Wallace, Kansas, US, and was sent to the American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, who named it ''E.platyurus'' in 1868. The generic name means "thin-plate reptile", and the specific name means "flat-tailed". Cope originally reconstructed the skeleton of ''Elasmosaurus'' with the skull at the end of the tail, an error which was made light of by the paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, and became part of their "Bone Wars" rivalry. Only one incomplete ''Elasmosaurus'' skeleton is definitely known, consisting of a fragmentary skull, the spine, and the pectoral and pelvic girdles, and a single species is recognized today; other species are now considered invalid or have been moved to other genera. Measuring in length and in body mass, ''Elasmosaurus'' would have ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elasmosaurus Platyurus
''Elasmosaurus'' (;) is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 80.5million years ago. The first specimen was discovered in 1867 near Fort Wallace, Kansas, US, and was sent to the American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, who named it ''E.platyurus'' in 1868. The Generic name (biology), generic name means "thin-plate reptile", and the specific name (zoology), specific name means "flat-tailed". Cope originally reconstructed the skeleton of ''Elasmosaurus'' with the skull at the end of the tail, an error which was made light of by the paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh, and became part of their "Bone Wars" rivalry. Only one incomplete ''Elasmosaurus'' skeleton is definitely known, consisting of a fragmentary skull, the spine, and the pectoral girdle, pectoral and pelvic girdles, and a single species is recognized today; other species are now considered invalid or have been moved to other genera. Measuring ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scanisaurus
''Scanisaurus'' is a dubious genus of plesiosaur that lived in what is now Sweden and Russia during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period. The name ''Scanisaurus'' means " Skåne lizard", Skåne being the southernmost province of Sweden, where a majority of the fossils referred to the genus have been recovered. The genus contains one species, ''S. nazarowi'', described in 1911 by Nikolay Bogolyubov as a species of ''Cimoliasaurus'' based on a single vertebral centrum discovered near Orenburg, Russia. ''S. nazarowi'' was separated into its own genus by Per-Ove Persson in 1959 after several differences were observed between the Russian centra and new fossils from Skåne and the type species of ''Cimoliasaurus''. Due to the limited type material and the lack of diagnostic features in the Swedish fossils confidently separating ''Scanisaurus'' from other Late Cretaceous elasmosaurids, the genus is of questionable validity, though it continues to be used in practice. ''S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albertonectes
''Albertonectes'' is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur known from the Late Cretaceous (middle upper Campanian stage) Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada. It contains a single species, ''Albertonectes vanderveldei''. ''Albertonectes'' is the longest elasmosaur, and more generally plesiosaur, known to date both in neck and total body length. Discovery ''Albertonectes'' is known solely from the holotype TMP 2007.011.0001, a complete well preserved postcranial skeleton housed at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta. Elements include all 132 vertebrae from the atlas-axis complex to fused tip of the tail vertebrae, complete pectoral and incomplete pelvic girdles, almost complete forelimbs and hindlimbs, disarticulated ribs, a gastralium, and at least 97 associated gastroliths. TMP 2007.011.0001 was discovered during mining for gem-quality ammonite shell called Ammolite by Korite International Ltd. about 150 meters south of the St. M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kawanectes
''Kawanectes'' (meaning "Kawas swimmer") is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur, a type of long-necked marine reptile, that lived in the marginal marine ( estuarine) environment of Late Cretaceous Patagonia. It contains one species, ''K. lafquenianum'', described in 2016 by O'Gorman. Description At in body length and in body mass, ''Kawanectes'' was small for an elasmosaurid. It belongs to the "non-elongated" group of elasmosaurids, meaning that its cervical vertebrae are not extremely lengthened, neither do they show great variability in length. The MCS specimen preserves 15 cervical vertebrae and 15 dorsal vertebrae, while the holotype preserves 10 caudal vertebrae; the true number of cervical and caudal vertebrae is unknown due to the incompleteness of the specimens. A combination of traits can be used to distinguish ''Kawanectes'' from all other elasmosaurids: the centra of the vertebrae are wider than they are long; the projections known as the parapophyses on the ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Futabasaurus
''Futabasaurus'' is a genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Fukushima, Japan. It was described and named in 2006, and was assigned to the family Elasmosauridae. The genus contains one species, ''F. suzukii''. Description The size of ''Futabasaurus'' has been estimated within the range of in length and in body mass. It can be distinguished from other elasmosaurids by the following characteristics: there is a long distance between the eye sockets and nostrils; the interclavicles and clavicles are fused, and the anterior edge is bent; the humerus is relatively long; and the femora are slim and show prominent muscle scars. Discovery and naming ''Futabasaurus'' is the first elasmosaurid found in Japan. It was originally known as either "Wellesisaurus sudzuki" or "Futaba-ryu" before publication. The type specimen of ''Futabasaurus'' was found in the Irimazawa Member of the Tamayama Formation, in the Futaba Group of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The rocks in which it were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nakonanectes
''Nakonanectes bradti'' is an elasmosaurid plesiosaur of the late Cretaceous found in 2010 the state of Montana in the United States. It is one of the most recently known elasmosaurids to have lived in North America. Unlike other elasmosaurids, it has a relatively short neck. Description In November 2010, hunter David Bradt stumbled on an elasmosaur fossil in a canyon on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. The specimen proved to be a new, short-necked species of elasmosaur, subsequently named ''Nakonanectes bradti''. The type specimen, MOR 3072, was nearly complete. This included the skull, a part not often found intact in Elasmosauridae fossils. Other elements of the fossil included the anterior cervical vertebrae, partial dorsal and caudal vertebrae, incomplete fore and hind limbs, gastralia, partial pectoral and pelvic girdles, and ribs. The fossil was found in the Bearpaw Formation, a late Campanian/early Maastrichtian rock, making it one of the last known el ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Styxosaurus
''Styxosaurus'' is a genus of plesiosaur of the family Elasmosauridae. ''Styxosaurus'' lived during the Campanian age of the Cretaceous period. Two species are known: ''S. snowii'' and ''S. browni''. Description ''Styxosaurus'' was a large plesiosaur, one of several species of a group collectively called elasmosaurs that appeared in the Late Cretaceous. Elasmosaurs typically have a neck that is at least half the length of the body, and composed of 60-72 vertebrae. ''Styxosaurus'' was a large elasmosaur with a long neck. It reached in length and in body mass. Its sharp teeth were conical and were adapted to puncture and hold rather than to cut; like other plesiosaurs, ''Styxosaurus'' swallowed its food whole. Discovery The holotype specimen of ''Styxosaurus snowii'' was described by S.W. Williston from a complete skull and 20 vertebrae. Another more complete specimen - SDSMT 451 was discovered near Iona, South Dakota, also in the US, in 1945. The specimen was originally ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cardiocorax
''Cardiocorax'' is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid known from the Late Cretaceous (early Maastrichtian stage) Mocuio Formation of Namibe Province, southern Angola. It contains a single species, ''Cardiocorax mukulu''. Its length is estimated at . Discovery ''Cardiocorax'' is known from the holotype MGUAN PA103 which consists of a complete pectoral and pelvic girdle, five neck and one back vertebrae, a partial forelimb including the humerus, radius bone, ulna and isolated phalanges, and several dorsal ribs. A second specimen was also referred to the species, MGAUN PA270, a more complete articulated pelvic girdle and a single hind limb. Both specimens are housed at the Museu de Geologia da Universidade Agostinho Neto in Luanda. The specimens were discovered at Bench 19 locality, about 7 meters from each other, in Bentiaba of the Namibe Province. They were collected from the Mocuio Formation of the Sāo Nicolau Group of Namibe Basin, dating to the early Maastrichti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woolungasaurus
''Woolungasaurus'' ('Woolunga lizard', named after an Aboriginal mythical reptile, Persson 1960) is a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile, belonging to the Elasmosauridae. The type species, ''Woolungasaurus glendowerensis'', was named after Glendower Station by Per Ove Persson in 1960,Persson, P.O., 1960, "Lower Cretaceous Plesiosaurians (Reptilia) from Australia", ''Lunds Universitets Arsskrift'' 56(12): 1-23 is known from a partial skeleton, holotype QM F6890, (forty-six vertebrae, ribs, forearms, shoulder girdle and part of the rear limbs) unearthed from the Wallumbilla Formation (Albian, Lower Cretaceous) of the Richmond District, Queensland, Australia. Another find of undetermined species, consisting of twelve vertebrae, was unearthed from the Maree Formation (Cretaceous, of uncertain age) of Neales River, near Lake Eyre, South Australia. A skull formerly referred to this genus from Yambore Creek, near Maxwelton, Queensland, is now the holotype of ''Eromangasaurus''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mauisaurus
''Mauisaurus'' ("Māui lizard") is a dubious genus of plesiosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now New Zealand. Numerous specimens have been attributed to this genus in the past, but a 2017 paper restricts ''Mauisaurus'' to the lectotype and declares it a ''nomen dubium''. Description Little can be said about the appearance of ''Mauisaurus'' as the only known material is an undiagnostic, fragmentary pelvic area and flippers. The lectotype material shows some features that may indicate aristonectine affinities, but simultaneously possesses anatomical features more consistent with non-aristonectine elasmosaurs. Etymology ''Mauisaurus'' gets its name from the New Zealand Māori mythological demigod, Māui. Māui is said to have pulled New Zealand up from the seabed using a fish hook, thus creating the country. Thus, ''Mauisaurus'' means "''Māui lizard''". ''Mauisaurus'' gets its scientific last name from its original finder, Julius von Haast, who fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fluvionectes
''Fluvionectes'' (meaning "river swimmer", from both Latin and Greek) is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur found in the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta, Canada. It is known from a holotype, which includes parts of the trunk area, and from a much larger specimen referred to this taxon. Description The holotype of ''Fluvionectes'' reached long and weighed . A much larger specimen indicates that this taxon may have reached in maximum body length. Classification The describers placed ''Fluvionectes'' in the Elasmosauridae, in a clade with ''Albertonectes'', ''Nakonanectes'', ''Styxosaurus'', and ''Terminonatator'', which by definition places it in the Elasmosaurinae subfamily. Paleobiology ''Fluvionectes'' appears to have been a freshwater (and possibly brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
