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Science and Nature Directory

List of plesiosaurs

This list of plesiosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Plesiosauria, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered plesiosaurs.

Contents

Scope and terminology

There is no official, canonical list of plesiosaur genera but one of the most thorough attempts can be found on the Plesiosauria section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive;[1] also pertinent is the Plesiosaur Genera section at Adam Stuart Smith's Plesiosaur Directory.[2]

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

  • Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
  • Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. In this case, these nomina nuda will be deleted from this list in favor of the published name.
  • Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
  • Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features. As this can be an extremely subjective and controversial designation, this term is not used on this list.

The list

Genus Authors Year Status Age Location Notes

"Alzadasaurus"

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

Anarosaurus

Dames

_in_paleontology.html" title="1890 in paleontology">1890

Valid.

mT

Apatomerus

Williston

_in_paleontology.html" title="1903 in paleontology">1903

Valid.

lK

Aphrosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

uK

"Apractocleidus"

Smellie

_in_paleontology.html" title="1916 in paleontology">1916

Disputed. possible synonym of Cryptocleidus

Aptychodon

Reuss

_in_paleontology.html" title="1855 in paleontology">1855

Valid.

uK

Archaeonectrus

Owen

_in_paleontology.html" title="1865 in paleontology">1865

Valid.

lJ

Aristonectes

Cabrera

_in_paleontology.html" title="1941 in paleontology">1941

Valid.

uK

Attenborosaurus

Bakker

_in_paleontology.html" title="1993 in paleontology">1993

Valid.

lJ

Augustasaurus

Sander
Rieppel
Bucher

_in_paleontology.html" title="1997 in paleontology">1997

Valid.

mT

Bathyspondylus

Delair

_in_paleontology.html" title="1982 in paleontology">1982

Valid.

uJ

Bishanopliosaurus

Dong

_in_paleontology.html" title="1980 in paleontology">1980

Valid.

lJ

Bobosaurus

Dalla Vecchia

_in_paleontology.html" title="2006 in paleontology">2006

Valid.

uT

Borealonectes

Sato
Wu

_in_paleontology.html" title="1980 in paleontology">1980

Valid.

mJ

Brachauchenius

Williston

_in_paleontology.html" title="1903 in paleontology">1903

Valid.

lK to uK

Branacasaurus

Name

-2.html#.23_in_paleontology" title="19">19##

Lapsus calami. probable lapsus calami of Brancasaurus

Brancasaurus

Wegner

_in_paleontology.html" title="1914 in paleontology">1914

Valid.

lK

Brimosaurus

Leidy

_in_paleontology.html" title="1855 in paleontology">1855

Valid.

uK

Callawayasaurus

Carpenter

_in_paleontology.html" title="1999 in paleontology">1999

Valid.

lK

Ceraunosaurus

Thurmond

_in_paleontology.html" title="1968 in paleontology">1968

Valid.

junior synonym of Trinacromerum

Charitosaurus

Meyer

_in_paleontology.html" title="1838 in paleontology">1838

Valid.

Chinchenia

Young

_in_paleontology.html" title="1965 in paleontology">1965

Valid.

mT

Cimoliasaurus

Leidy

_in_paleontology.html" title="1851 in paleontology">1851

Valid.

lK to uK

Colymbosaurus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1874 in paleontology">1874

Valid.

mJ to uJ

Crymocetus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1869 in paleontology">1869

Valid.

lK

Cryptocleidus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1892 in paleontology">1892

Valid.

Cryptoclidus

Phillips

_in_paleontology.html" title="1871 in paleontology">1871

Valid.

mJ

Cymatosaurus

Fritsch

_in_paleontology.html" title="1894 in paleontology">1894

Valid.

mT

Dactylosaurus

Gurich

_in_paleontology.html" title="1884 in paleontology">1884

Valid.

Deirosaurus

Owen

_in_paleontology.html" title="1854 in paleontology">1854

Valid.

Discosaurus

Leidy

_in_paleontology.html" title="1851 in paleontology">1851

Valid.

Dolichorhynchops

Williston

_in_paleontology.html" title="1903 in paleontology">1903

Valid.

Dravidosaurus

Yadagiri
Ayyasami

_in_paleontology.html" title="1979 in paleontology">1979

Valid.

Edgarosaurus

Druckenmiller

_in_paleontology.html" title="2002 in paleontology">2002

Valid.

Elasmosaurus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1868 in paleontology">1868

Valid.

Eopolycotylus[3]

Albright
Gillette
Titus

_in_paleontology.html" title="2007 in paleontology">2007

Valid.

Eretmosaurus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1874 in paleontology">1874

Valid.

Eridanosaurus

Balsamo-Crivelli

_in_paleontology.html" title="1864 in paleontology">1864

Valid.

Eromangasaurus

Kear

_in_paleontology.html" title="2005 in paleontology">2005

Valid.

Eurycleidus

Andrews

_in_paleontology.html" title="1922 in paleontology">1922

Valid.

Eurysaurus

Nopcsa

_in_paleontology.html" title="1928 in paleontology">1928

Valid.

Fresnosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

Futabasaurus

Sato
Hasegawa
Manabe

_in_paleontology.html" title="2006 in paleontology">2006

Valid.

also a theropod nomen nudum

Gallardosaurus

Gasparini

_in_paleontology.html" title="2009 in paleontology">2009

Valid.

Georgia

Otschev

_in_paleontology.html" title="1976 in paleontology">1976

Preoccupied. preoccupied by a genus of mollusk

Georgiasaurus

Otschev

_in_paleontology.html" title="1878 in paleontology">1878

Valid.

Goniosaurus

Meyer

_in_paleontology.html" title="1860 in paleontology">1860

Valid.

Hauffiosaurus

O'Keefe

_in_paleontology.html" title="2001 in paleontology">2001

Valid.

Hexatarsostinus

Hawkins

_in_paleontology.html" title="1840 in paleontology">1840

Valid.

Hydralmosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

Hydrorion

Grobmann

_in_paleontology.html" title="2006 in paleontology">2006

Valid.

Hydrotherosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

Ischyrodon

von Meyer

_in_paleontology.html" title="1838 in paleontology">1838

Valid.

Kaiwhekea

Cruickshank
Fordyce

_in_paleontology.html" title="2002 in paleontology">2002

Valid.

Kimmerosaurus

Brown

_in_paleontology.html" title="1981 in paleontology">1981

Valid.

Kronosaurus

Longman

_in_paleontology.html" title="1924 in paleontology">1924

Valid.

Leptocleidus

Andrews

_in_paleontology.html" title="1922 in paleontology">1922

Valid.

Leurospondylus

Brown

_in_paleontology.html" title="1913 in paleontology">1913

Valid.

Libonectes

Carpenter

_in_paleontology.html" title="1997 in paleontology">1997

Valid.

Liopleurodon

Sauvage

_in_paleontology.html" title="1873 in paleontology">1873

Valid.

Luetkesaurus

Kiprijanoff

_in_paleontology.html" title="1883 in paleontology">1883

Valid.

Macroplata

Swinton

_in_paleontology.html" title="1930 in paleontology">1930

Valid.

Manemergus

Buchy
Metayer
Frey

_in_paleontology.html" title="2005 in paleontology">2005

Valid.

Maresaurus

Gasparini

_in_paleontology.html" title="1997 in paleontology">1997

Valid.

Mauisaurus

Hector

_in_paleontology.html" title="1874 in paleontology">1874

Valid.

Megalneusaurus

Knight

_in_paleontology.html" title="1898 in paleontology">1898

Valid.

"Megalosaurus"

Name

-2.html#.23_in_paleontology" title="19">19##

Valid.

also a valid dinosaur genus

Microcleidus

Watson

_in_paleontology.html" title="1911 in paleontology">1911

Valid.

Morenosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

Morturneria

Chatterjee
Creisler

_in_paleontology.html" title="1994 in paleontology">1994

Valid.

Muraenosaurus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1874 in paleontology">1874

Valid.

Nichollssaura[4]

Druckenmiller
Russell

_in_paleontology.html" title="2009 in paleontology">2009

Valid.

Nichollsia

Druckenmiller
Russell

_in_paleontology.html" title="2008 in paleontology">2008

Preocc.

also a genus of isopod

Occitanosaurus

Bardet
Fernandez
Garcia-Ramos
Superbiola
Pinuela
Ruiz-Omenaca
Vincent

_in_paleontology.html" title="2008 in paleontology">2008

Valid.

Ogmodirus

Williston
Moodie

_in_paleontology.html" title="1917 in paleontology">1917

Valid.

Orophosaurus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1851 in paleontology">1851

Valid.

Opallionectes

Kear

_in_paleontology.html" title="2006 in paleontology">2006

Valid.

Pachycostasaurus

Cruickshank
Martill

_in_paleontology.html" title="1996 in paleontology">1996

Valid.

Pahasapasaurus

Schumacher

_in_paleontology.html" title="2007 in paleontology">2007

Valid.

Palmula[3]

Albright
Gillette
Titus

_in_paleontology.html" title="2007 in paleontology">2007

Valid.

preoccupied by a genus of foraminifer, renamed Palmulasaurus

Palmulasaurus

Albright
Gillete
Titus

_in_paleontology.html" title="2007 in paleontology">2007

Valid.

Pantosaurus

Marsh

_in_paleontology.html" title="1893 in paleontology">1893

Valid.

Peloneustes

Lydekker

_in_paleontology.html" title="1889 in paleontology">1889

Valid.

Pentatarsostinius

Hawkins

_in_paleontology.html" title="1840 in paleontology">1840

Syn.

Synonym of Plesiosaurus

Peyerus

Stromer

_in_paleontology.html" title="1935 in paleontology">1935

Valid.

junior synonym of Leptocleidus

Picrocleidus

Andrews

_in_paleontology.html" title="1909 in paleontology">1909

Valid.

junior synonym of Muraenosaurus

Piptomerus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1887 in paleontology">1887

Valid.

Piratosaurus

Leidy

_in_paleontology.html" title="1865 in paleontology">1865

Valid.

Plesioliopleurodon

Name

-2.html#.23_in_paleontology" title="19">19##

Valid.

apparent typographical error for Plesiopleurodon

Plesiopleurodon

Carpenter

_in_paleontology.html" title="1996 in paleontology">1996

Valid.

Plesiopterys

O'Keefe

_in_paleontology.html" title="2004 in paleontology">2004

Valid.

Plesiosaurus

Conybeare

_in_paleontology.html" title="1824 in paleontology">1824

Valid.

Pliosaurus

Owen

_in_paleontology.html" title="1841 in paleontology">1841

Valid.

Polycotylus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1869 in paleontology">1869

Valid.

Polyptychodon

Owen

_in_paleontology.html" title="1841 in paleontology">1841

Valid.

Procotylus

Korotneff

_in_paleontology.html" title="1908 in paleontology">1908

Valid.

Rhomaleosaurus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1871 in paleontology">1871

Valid.

Scanisaurus

Persson

_in_paleontology.html" title="1959 in paleontology">1959

Valid.

"Seeleysaurus"

White

_in_paleontology.html" title="1940 in paleontology">1940

Valid.

Seeleyosaurus

White

_in_paleontology.html" title="1940 in paleontology">1940

Valid.

Simolestes

Andrews

_in_paleontology.html" title="1909 in paleontology">1909

Valid.

Sinopliosaurus

Young

_in_paleontology.html" title="1944 in paleontology">1944

Valid.

lK

Spondylosaurus

Fisher

_in_paleontology.html" title="1845 in paleontology">1845

Valid.

junior synonym of Pliosaurus

Sulcusuchus

Gasparini
Spalletti

_in_paleontology.html" title="1992 in paleontology">1992

Valid.

uK

Stereosaurus

Seeley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1869 in paleontology">1869

Valid.

Sthenarosaurus

Watson

_in_paleontology.html" title="1911 in paleontology">1911

Valid.

lJ

"Stretosaurus"

Tarlo

_in_paleontology.html" title="1959 in paleontology">1959

Valid.

possible junior synonym of Liopleurodon

Strongylokrotaphus

Novozhilov

_in_paleontology.html" title="1964 in paleontology">1964

Valid.

junior synonym of Pliosaurus

Styxosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1952 in paleontology">1952

Valid.

uK

Taphrosaurus

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1870 in paleontology">1870

Valid.

uK

Tapinosaurus

Rabeck

_in_paleontology.html" title="1925 in paleontology">1925

Valid.

"Tatenectes"[5]

Knight

_in_paleontology.html" title="1900 in paleontology">1900

Valid.

Terminonatator

Sato

_in_paleontology.html" title="2003 in paleontology">2003

Valid.

uK

Thalassiodracon

Storrs
Taylor

_in_paleontology.html" title="1996 in paleontology">1996

Valid.

uT-lJ

Thalassiosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1953 in paleontology">1953

Valid.

— junior synonym of Styxosaurus

Thalassomedon

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

uK

Thalassonomosaurus

Welles

_in_paleontology.html" title="1943 in paleontology">1943

Valid.

junior synonym of Styxosaurus

"Thaumatosaurus"

Meyer

_in_paleontology.html" title="1841 in paleontology">1841

Valid.

Thililua

Bardet
Suberbiola
Jalil

_in_paleontology.html" title="2003 in paleontology">2003

Valid.

uK

"Tremamesacleis"

White

_in_paleontology.html" title="1940 in paleontology">1940

Valid.

uJ

possible junior synonym of Muraenosaurus

Tricleidus

Andrews

_in_paleontology.html" title="1909 in paleontology">1909

Valid.

Trinacromerum

Cragin

_in_paleontology.html" title="1888 in paleontology">1888

Valid.

uK

Tuarangisaurus

Wiffen
Moisley

_in_paleontology.html" title="1986 in paleontology">1986

Valid.

uK

Turneria

Chatterjee
Small

_in_paleontology.html" title="1989 in paleontology">1989

Valid.

preoccupied by a genus of ant

Umoonasaurus

Kear
Schroeder
Lee

_in_paleontology.html" title="2006 in paleontology">2006

Valid.

lK

Uronautes[6]

Cope

_in_paleontology.html" title="1870 in paleontology">1870

Valid.

uK

Vinialesaurus[7]

Gasparini
Bardet
Vinent
Iturralde

_in_paleontology.html" title="2002 in paleontology">2002

Valid.

uJ

Woolungasaurus

Persson

_in_paleontology.html" title="1960 in paleontology">1960

Valid.

lK

Yuzhoupliosaurus[8]

Zhang

_in_paleontology.html" title="1985 in paleontology">1985

Valid.

mJ[8]

Related

Footnotes

References



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