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===Longest plesiosauroids===
===Longest plesiosauroids===
# ''[[Albertonectes vanderveldei]]'': {{convert|11.2-11.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>Kubo, T.; Mitchell, M. T.; Henderson, D. M. (2012). "Albertonectes vanderveldei, a new elasmosaur (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 557–572. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.658124. S2CID 129500470.</ref>
# ''[[Albertonectes vanderveldei]]'': {{convert|11.2-11.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Kubo | first1 = T. | last2 = Mitchell | first2 = M. T. | last3 = Henderson | first3 = D. M. | doi = 10.1080/02724634.2012.658124 | title = ''Albertonectes vanderveldei'', a new elasmosaur (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta | journal = Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology | volume = 32 | issue = 3 | pages = 557–572| year = 2012 | s2cid = 129500470 }}</ref>
# ''[[Thalassomedon haningtoni]]'': {{convert|10.86-11.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>Smith, Elliott Armour. (2020). "Revision of the Genus Styxosaurus and Relationships of the Late Cretaceous Elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) of the Western Interior Seaway". Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1335. https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1335</ref>
# ''[[Thalassomedon haningtoni]]'': {{convert|10.86-11.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>Smith, Elliott Armour. (2020). "Revision of the Genus Styxosaurus and Relationships of the Late Cretaceous Elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) of the Western Interior Seaway". Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1335. https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1335</ref>
# ''[[Styxosaurus browni]]'': {{convert|11|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="gorman2016">{{cite journal | first1 = J.P. | last1 = O'Gorman | title = A Small Body Sized Non-Aristonectine Elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia with Comments on the Relationships of the Patagonian and Antarctic Elasmosaurids | journal = Ameghiniana | volume = 53 | issue = 3 | pages = 245–268 | doi = 10.5710/AMGH.29.11.2015.2928 | year = 2016| s2cid = 133139689 | url = http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/108247 }}</ref>
# ''[[Styxosaurus browni]]'': {{convert|11|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="gorman2016">{{cite journal | first1 = J.P. | last1 = O'Gorman | title = A Small Body Sized Non-Aristonectine Elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia with Comments on the Relationships of the Patagonian and Antarctic Elasmosaurids | journal = Ameghiniana | volume = 53 | issue = 3 | pages = 245–268 | doi = 10.5710/AMGH.29.11.2015.2928 | year = 2016| s2cid = 133139689 | url = http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/108247 }}</ref>

Revision as of 11:33, 14 March 2022

An example of a plesiosaur

Plesiosaurs are a clade of extinct marine reptiles.

Record sizes

Plesiosaur skeleton of Meyerasaurus in the Museum am Löwentor, Stuttgart, seen from below

In general, plesiosaurians varied in adult length from between 1.5 metres (5 ft) to about 15 metres (49 ft). The group thus contained some of the largest marine apex predators in the fossil record, roughly equalling the longest ichthyosaurs, mosasaurids, sharks and toothed whales in size. Some plesiosaurian remains, such as a 2.9 metres (10 ft) long set of highly reconstructed and fragmentary lower jaws preserved in the Oxford University Museum and referable to Pliosaurus rossicus (previously referred to Stretosaurus[1] and Liopleurodon), indicated a length of 13 metres (43 ft).[2] However, it was recently argued that its size cannot be currently determined due to their being poorly reconstructed. MCZ 1285, a specimen currently referable to Kronosaurus queenslandicus, from the Early Cretaceous of Australia, was estimated to have a skull length of 2.85 m (9 ft).[3]

Plesiosauroids

The longest known plesiosauroid was Albertonectes at 11.6 metres (38 feet) long.

Longest plesiosauroids

  1. Albertonectes vanderveldei: 11.2–11.6 m (37–38 ft)[4]
  2. Thalassomedon haningtoni: 10.86–11.6 m (35.6–38.1 ft)[5]
  3. Styxosaurus browni: 11 m (36 ft)[6]
  4. Elasmosaurus platyurus: 10.3 m (34 ft)[6]
  5. Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae: 7.8 m (26 ft)[6]

Pliosauroids

Longest pliosauroids

  1. The NHM symphysis: 9.1–15.1 m (30–50 ft)[2]
  2. The Peterborough vertebra: 11.6–14.2 m (38–47 ft)[2](hypothetical)
  3. Pliosaurus rossicus/Pliosaurus macromerus: 11.4–12.7 m (37–42 ft)[2]
  4. Monster of Aramberri: 11.7–12.4 m (38–41 ft)[2][7]
  5. Pliosaurus funkei: 10–13 m (33–43 ft)[8]
  6. Pliosaurus kevani: 10–13 m (33–43 ft)[3]
  7. Kronosaurus queenslandicus: 10.5–10.9 m (34–36 ft)[2]

Heaviest pliosauroids

  1. The NHM symphysis: 7–32 t (6.9–31.5 long tons; 7.7–35.3 short tons)[2]
  2. The Peterborough vertebra: 14.6–26.6 t (14.4–26.2 long tons; 16.1–29.3 short tons)[2](hypothetical)
  3. Pliosaurus rossicus/Pliosaurus macromerus: 19.2 t (18.9 long tons; 21.2 short tons)[2]
  4. Monster of Aramberri: 14.9–17.8 t (14.7–17.5 long tons; 16.4–19.6 short tons)[2]
  5. Pliosaurus funkei: 10.6–17 t (10.4–16.7 long tons; 11.7–18.7 short tons)[8]
  6. Pliosaurus kevani: 10.6–17 t (10.4–16.7 long tons; 11.7–18.7 short tons)[3]
  7. Kronosaurus queenslandicus: 10.6–12.1 t (10.4–11.9 long tons; 11.7–13.3 short tons)[2]

References

  1. ^ Tarlo, L.B.H. (1959). "Stretosaurus gen nov., a giant pliosaur from the Kimmeridge Clay". Palaeontology. 2 (2): 39–55.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McHenry, Colin Richard (2009). "Devourer of Gods: the palaeoecology of the Cretaceous pliosaur Kronosaurus queenslandicus" (PDF): 1–460. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Benson, R. B. J.; Evans, M.; Smith, A. S.; Sassoon, J.; Moore-Faye, S.; Ketchum, H. F.; Forrest, R. (2013). Butler, Richard J (ed.). "A Giant Pliosaurid Skull from the Late Jurassic of England". PLOS ONE. 8 (5): e65989. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...865989B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065989. PMC 3669260. PMID 23741520.
  4. ^ Kubo, T.; Mitchell, M. T.; Henderson, D. M. (2012). "Albertonectes vanderveldei, a new elasmosaur (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 557–572. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.658124. S2CID 129500470.
  5. ^ Smith, Elliott Armour. (2020). "Revision of the Genus Styxosaurus and Relationships of the Late Cretaceous Elasmosaurids (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) of the Western Interior Seaway". Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1335. https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1335
  6. ^ a b c O'Gorman, J.P. (2016). "A Small Body Sized Non-Aristonectine Elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia, Plesiosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia with Comments on the Relationships of the Patagonian and Antarctic Elasmosaurids". Ameghiniana. 53 (3): 245–268. doi:10.5710/AMGH.29.11.2015.2928. S2CID 133139689.
  7. ^ Eberhard Frey and Wolfgang Stinnesbeck Plesiosaurs, Reptiles between Grace and Awe In: Héctor E. Rivera-Sylva, Kenneth Carpenter, Eberhard Frey (2014) Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles from the Mesozoic of Mexico, Indiana University Press, p.88
  8. ^ a b "A new species of Pliosaurus (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) from the Middle Volgian of central Spitsbergen, Norway". Norwegian Journal of Geology. 92 (2–3): 235–258. 2012. ISSN 0029-196X. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help) Low resolution pdf[permanent dead link‍] High resolution pdf[permanent dead link‍]
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