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Plesiosaur

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	Topics Plesiosaur Topic Home History of discovery The first plesiosaur skeletons were found in England by Mary AnningMary Anning Mary Anning was an early British fossil collector and paleontologist. ... , in the early 1800s, and were amongst the first fossil vertebrates to be described by science. Many have been found, some of them virtually complete, and new discoveries are made frequently. One of the finest specimens was found in 2002 on the coast of SomersetSomerset Somerset is a county in the south-west of England.... (England) by someone fishing from the shore. This specimen, called the Collard specimen after its finder, was on display in TauntonTaunton Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England.... museum in 2007. Another, less complete skeleton was also found in 2002, in the cliffs at FileyFiley Filey is a small town in between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast of the UK.... , YorkshireFacts About Yorkshire Yorkshire is the largest historic county of England and Great Britain, covering just under 6,000 sq.... , EnglandEngland England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom.... , by an amateur palaeontologist. The preserved skeleton is displayed at Scarborough Rotunda Museum. Many museums have plesiosaur specimens. Notable among them is the collection of plesiosaurs in the Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum -\|\|-\|\|-\|\|}The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London.... , LondonLondon London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom.... , which are on display in the marine reptiles gallery. Several historically important specimens can be found there, including the partial skeleton from Nottinghamshire reported by Stukely in 1719 which is the earliest written record of any marine reptile. Others specimens include those purchased from Thomas Hawkins in the early 19th century. Specimens are on display in museums in the UK, including New Walk Museum, Leicester, The Yorkshire Museum, The Sedgwick MuseumSedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, opened in 1904, is the geology museum of the University of Cambridge in England.... in Cambridge, Manchester Museum, Warwick Museum, Bristol MuseumBristol City Museum and Art Gallery The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England.... and the Dorset Museum. A specimen was put on display in Lincoln Museum in 2005. Peterborough Museum holds an excellent collection of plesiosaur material from the Oxford Clay brick pits in the area. The most complete known specimen of the long-necked plesiosaur CryptoclidusCryptoclidus *Cryptoclidus* was a marine reptile of the plesiosaur family from the Middle Jurassic Period in England.... , excavated in the 1980s can be seen there. Description Plesiosaurs had a broad body and a short tailTail Summary A tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body, the term particularly referring to such a section which forms a d... . They retained their ancestral two pairs of limbs, which evolved into large flipperFlipper (anatomy) A flipper is a digitless, typically flat limb evolved for movement through water.... s. Plesiosaurs evolved from earlier, similar forms such as pistosaursPistosaurus *Pistosaurus longaevus* is an extinct genus of aquatic sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order.... or very early, longer-necked pliosaurPliosaur The Pliosaurs were aquatic mesozoic reptiles, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods.... s. There are a number of familiesFamily (biology) In biological classification, family is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank.... of plesiosaurs, which retain the same general appearance and are distinguished by various specific details. These include the Plesiosauridae, unspecialised types which are limited to the Early JurassicEarly Jurassic The Early Jurassic is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period.... period; CryptoclididaeCryptoclididae Cryptoclididae is a family of medium size plesiosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous.... , (e.g. CryptoclidusCryptoclidus *Cryptoclidus* was a marine reptile of the plesiosaur family from the Middle Jurassic Period in England.... ), with a medium-long neck and somewhat stocky build; ElasmosauridaeElasmosauridae Elasmosauridae was the taxonomic family of the most advanced plesiosaurs.... , with very long, inflexible necks and tiny heads; and the CimoliasauridaeCimoliasauridae The Cimoliasauridae are a poorly known family of plesiosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous.... , a poorly known group of small Cretaceous forms. According to traditional classifications, all plesiosaurs have a small head and long neck but, in recent classifications, one short-necked and large-headed Cretaceous group, the PolycotylidaePolycotylidae Polycotylidae is a family of plesiosaurs from the Cretaceous, a sister group to the elasmosauridae.... , are included under the Plesiosauroidea, rather than under the traditional Pliosauroidea. Size of different plesiosaurs varied significantly, with an estimated length of TrinacromerumTrinacromerum Overview *Trinacromerum* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the pliosaur suborder. ... being 3 meters and MauisaurusMauisaurus *Mauisaurus* was a genus of plesiosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period around 65 million years ago in what i... growing to 20 meters. Behaviour Unlike their pliosaurian cousins, plesiosaurs (with the exception of the Polycotylidae) were probably slow swimmers . It is likely that they cruised slowly below the surface of the water, using their long flexible neck to move their head into position to snap up unwary fish or cephalopods. Their four-flippered swimming adaptation may have given them exceptional maneuverability, so that they could swiftly rotate their bodies as an aid to catching prey. Contrary to many reconstructions of plesiosaurs, it would have been impossible for them to lift their head and long neck above the surface, in the 'swanSwan Swans are large water birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks.... -like' pose that is often shown . Even if they had been able to bend their necks upward to that degree (which they could not), gravity would have tipped their body forward and kept most of the heavy neck in the water. Taxonomy The classification of plesiosaurs has varied; the following represents one version (see O'Keefe 2001) Superorder SAUROPTERYGIASauropterygia Sauropterygia is a group of very successful aquatic reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs before they bec... Order PLESIOSAURIAPlesiosauria Plesiosauria are an order of Mesozoic marine reptiles.... Suborder PliosaurPliosaur The Pliosaurs were aquatic mesozoic reptiles, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods.... oidea Suborder Plesiosauroidea(Gray, 1825) Welles, 1943 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 Plesiopterys O'Keefe, 2004 Family PlesiosauridaePlesiosaurus *Plesiosaurus* was a large, marine Sauropterygian reptile that lived during the early part of the Jurassic period, and is ... Gray, 1825 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 AttenborosaurusAttenborosaurus Overview *Attenborosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Early Jurassic of Dorset, England.... Bakker, 1993 PlesiosaurusPlesiosaurus *Plesiosaurus* was a large, marine Sauropterygian reptile that lived during the early part of the Jurassic period, and is ... De la Beche & Conybeare, 1821 (Unranked) Euplesiosauria O'Keefe, 2001 ? Sthenarosaurus Watson, 1911 (nomen dubium) ? Eretmosaurus Seeley, 1874 ? LeurospondylusLeurospondylus *Leurospondylus* is a genus of plesiosaur whose family is not known for certain, but is thought to be Plesiosauridae.... Brown, 1913 ? NichollsiaNichollsia (plesiosaur) *Nichollsia* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Early Cretaceous Boreal Sea of North America.... Druckenmiller & Russell, 2008 Superfamily Cryptoclidoidea Williston, 1925 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 Family CryptoclididaeCryptoclididae Cryptoclididae is a family of medium size plesiosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous.... Williston, 1925 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 ? Tatenectes O’Keefe & Wahl, 2003 ? ColymbosaurusColymbosaurus *Colymbosaurus* is a genus of English plesiosaur described in 1874 by Seeley.... Seeley, 1874 Cryptocleidus Seeley, 1892 MuraenosaurusMuraenosaurus Summary *Muraenosaurus* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order.... Seeley, 1874 Pantosaurus Marsh, 1891 VinialesaurusVinialesaurus *Vinialesaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Jurassic of what is now Cuba.... Gasparini, Bardet & Iturralde-Vinent, 2002 (Unranked) Tricleidia O'Keefe, 2001 Family Tricledidae Nova Tricleidus Andrews, 1909 Family CimoliasauridaeCimoliasauridae The Cimoliasauridae are a poorly known family of plesiosaurs from the Jurassic and Cretaceous.... Delair, 1959 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 ? AristonectesAristonectes *Aristonectes* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now South America and Antarctica.... Cabrea, 1941 KaiwhekeaKaiwhekea *Kaiwhekea* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now New Zealand.... Cruickshank & Fordyce, 2002 KimmerosaurusKimmerosaurus *Kimmerosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the family Cimoliasauridae. ... Brown, 1981 Cimoliasaurus Leidy, 1851 (nomen dubium) Family PolycotylidaePolycotylidae Polycotylidae is a family of plesiosaurs from the Cretaceous, a sister group to the elasmosauridae.... Williston, 1909 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 ? EdgarosaurusEdgarosaurus *Edgarosaurus* is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur, containing one species, E.... Druckenmiller, 2002 ? Georgiasaurus Otschev, 1978 ManemergusManemergus Manemergus is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco.... Buchy, Metayer, & Frey, 2005 Polycotylus Cope, 1869 DolichorhynchopsDolichorhynchops *Dolichorhynchops* is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America, containing two species,... Willison, 1903 TrinacromerumTrinacromerum *Trinacromerum* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the pliosaur suborder. ... Cragin, 1888 SulcusuchusSulcusuchus *Sulcusuchus* is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina.... Gasparini & Spalletti, 1990 ThililuaThililua *Thililua* is a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur, containing one species, T.... Bardet, Pereda Suberbiola & Jalil, 2003 Family ElasmosauridaeElasmosauridae Elasmosauridae was the taxonomic family of the most advanced plesiosaurs.... Cope, 1869 sensu Bardet, Godefroit & Sciau, 1999 ? MorenosaurusMorenosaurus Overview *Morenosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Cretaceous of what is now California.... Welles, 1943 OccitanosaurusOccitanosaurus *Occitanosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Early Jurassic of what is now France.... Bardet, Godefroit & Sciau, 1999 MicrocleidusMicrocleidus *Microcleidus* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur suborder.... Watson, 1911 Family ElasmosauridaeElasmosauridae Elasmosauridae was the taxonomic family of the most advanced plesiosaurs.... Cope, 1869 sensu O'Keefe, 2001 ? FutabasaurusFutabasaurus *Futabasaurus suzukii* is the name of a plesiosaur that was described in 2006 by Soto, Hagesawa, and Manabe.... Sato, Hasegawa & Manabe, 2006 ? Orophosaurus Cope, 1887 (nomen dubium) ? WoolungasaurusWoolungasaurus *Woolungasaurus glendowerensis* was a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile, of the family Elasmosauridae.... Persson, 1960 ? Ogmodirus Williston & Moodie, 1913 (nomen dubium) ? FresnosaurusFresnosaurus *Fresnosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now California.... Welles, 1943 ? Piptomerus Cope, 1887 (nomen vanum) ? Goniosaurus Meyer, 1860 ? MauisaurusMauisaurus *Mauisaurus* was a genus of plesiosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period around 65 million years ago in what i... Hector, 1874 ? AphrosaurusAphrosaurus *Aphrosaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Mesozoic.... Welles, 1943 ? HydrotherosaurusFacts About Hydrotherosaurus *Hydrotherosaurus* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order. ... Welles, 1943 ? Hydralmosaurus Welles, 1943 ? TerminonatatorTerminonatator *Terminonatator* is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Saskatchewan, Canada.... Sato, 2003 ? TuarangisaurusTuarangisaurus *Tuarangisaurus* is a genus of extinct elasmosaur discovered in New Zealand and described by Wiffen & Moisley in 1986, kn... Wiffen & Moisley, 1986 ? Thalassomedon Welles, 1943 ElasmosaurusElasmosaurus Summary Elasmosaurus meaning "thin-plated lizard" because it had platelike bones in its pelvic girdle is a plesiosaur with an extrem... Cope, 1869 BrancasaurusBrancasaurus *Brancasaurus* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Germany.... Wegner, 1914 CallawayasaurusCallawayasaurus *Callawayasaurus* is a genus of plesiosaur from the family, Elasmosauridae.... Carpenter, 1999 LibonectesLibonectes *Libonectes* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order.... Carpenter, 1997 StyxosaurusStyxosaurus *Styxosaurus* is a genus of plesiosaur of the family Elasmosauridae.... Welles, 1943 In popular culture The plesiosaur is popular among children and cryptozoologists, appearing in a number of children's books and several filmFacts About Film Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general.... s, including in Jules VerneJules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author and a pioneer of the science-fiction genre.... 's novel Journey to the Center of the EarthJourney to the Center of the Earth *Journey to the Center of the Earth* is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.... . However, in Verne's story it is described as being much larger than they were in reality, and shown as having a shell like a turtleTurtle Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilagenous shell... . In the bizarre 1899 short story "The Monster of Lake LaMetrie", a man's brain was put into the body of a plesiosaur. Plesiosaurs have appeared in films about lake monsterLake monster Lake monster is the name given to large unknown animals which have purportedly been sighted in, and/or are believed to dwell... s, including Magic in the WaterMagic in the Water "Magic in the Water" is a movie about a girl named Ashley and her brother Joshua who are taken by their workaholic dad named Jack ... (1995), and movies about the Loch Ness MonsterLoch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster, sometimes called Nessie or Ness is a mysterious and unidentified animal or group of anim... , such as Loch NessLoch Ness (film) *Loch Ness* is a 1996 film that stars Ted Danson and Joely Richardson.... (1996). In both films, the creature primarily serves as a symbolSymbol A symbol, in its basic sense, is a conventional representation of a concept; i.e., an idea, object, quality, quantity, etc.... of a lost, child-like sense of wonder. Plesiosaurs are also present in the Japanese JawsJaws (film) *Jaws* is a 1975 horror thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel of the sa... -inspired movie Legend of the Dinosaurs (1983). Contrary to reports, the long-necked, sharp-toothed animal in the classic film King KongKing Kong King Kong is the name of the fictional giant ape, from Skull Island, who has appeared in several works, most of which bear h... (1933), which flips a raft full of rescuers on their way to save Fay WrayFay Wray Summary Vina Fay Wray was a Canadian–American actress. ... , and then devours the swimmers, is not a plesiosaur. Despite striking a profile in the mist very similar to the famous 'Surgeon's Photo' of the Loch Ness Monster, it then chases the routed heroes onto dry land, where it is clearly intended to be a diplodocidDiplodocid Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae, were sauropod dinosaurs such as the Diplodocus and the Apato... sauropod. However, Kong later battles a serpent-like creature in a cave which possesses four flippers, resembles a plesiosaur, but acts more like a giant snake. Alleged living plesiosaurs Lake or sea monsterFacts About Sea monster Sea monsters are sea-dwelling, mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.... sightings are occasionally explained by cryptozoologistsCryptozoology Cryptozoology is the study of animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is still missing; the term a... as plesiosaurs. With the lack of fossil evidence for plesiosaurs surviving past the K/T boundaryK–T boundary Summary The K-T boundary is a geological signature, usually a thin band, dated to 65.5 ? 0.3 .... , the discovery of real and even more ancient living fossilLiving fossil Living fossil is a term for any living species of organism which seems to be the same as a species otherwise only known from... s, such as the coelacanthCoelacanth Coelacanth is the common name for an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of jawed fish known to date.... , and of previously unknown but enormous deep-sea animals such as the giant squidFacts About Giant squid Giant squid, once believed to be mythical creatures, are squid of the Architeuthidae family, represented by as many as... and the megamouth sharkMegamouth shark Summary The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is an extremely rare and unusual species of shark, discovered in 1976, with 36... , have fuelled imaginations. The 1977 discovery of a carcass with flippers and what appeared to be a long neck and head, by the JapanJapan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from... ese fishingFishing Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish.... trawler Zuiyo MaruZuiyo Maru The *Zuiyo Maru* was a Japanese trawler that caught a creature initially claimed to be a prehistoric plesiosaur off the co... , off New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands and many much smaller islands, m... , created a plesiosaur craze in Japan. However, the consensus amongst scientists today is that it was a decayed basking sharkBasking shark Summary The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest fish, after the whale shark.... . The Loch Ness MonsterLoch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster, sometimes called Nessie or Ness is a mysterious and unidentified animal or group of anim... , and other lake monsters, have been reported to resemble plesiosaurs. The lake plesiosaur theory is considered unlikely for many reasons, including: they are generally too cold for a large cold-bloodedCold-blooded Cold-blooded organisms maintain their body temperatures in ways different from mammals and birds.... animal to survive easily, and that air-breathing animals, like plesiosaurs, would be easily spotted when they surface to breathe. In 2003, the National Museums of ScotlandNational Museums of Scotland The National Museums of Scotland are the national museums of Scotland. ... confirmed that vertebraVertebra Vertebrae are the individual irregular bones that make up the vertebral column — a flexuous and flexible column.... e discovered on the shores of Loch NessLoch Ness This page is about the body of water in Scotland.... belong to a plesiosaur, but the fossilFossil Fossils are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms.... s were deliberately planted (BBC News, July 16, 2003). Research announced in 2006, by Leslie Noè of the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge, UK, cast further doubt on the lake plesiosaur theory. While many sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, and similar from around the globe, include reports of it lifting its head out of the water, Noè's study of fossilized vertebrae of MuraenosaurusMuraenosaurus *Muraenosaurus* is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosaur order.... concluded this articulation would not be possible. Instead, he found that the neck evolved to point downwards allowing the plesiosaur to feed on soft-shelled animals living on the sea floor. Beached carcasses that prove controversial or hard to identify, a phenomenon known as globsterGlobster A globster is an unidentified carcass washed up on the shore of an ocean or other body of water, or found in the stomach of ... s, have fueled the speculation about living plesiosaurs. For example, The StarFacts About The Star (Malaysia) *The Star* is the leading English-language newspaper in Malaysia.... on April 8, 2006, reported that fishermen discovered bones resembling that of a plesiosaur near SabahSabah Summary Sabah is the second largest state in Malaysia and is also known as Negeri di bawah bayu which means The Land Below The... , MalaysiaMalaysia Malaysia is a federation of 13 states in Southeast Asia, formed in 1963.... . A team of researchers from Universiti Malaysia SabahUniversiti Malaysia Sabah Overview Universiti Malaysia Sabah is a Malaysian university located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and was established on Novembe... investigated the specimen, but determined the bones were those of a whale . See also Australian plesiosaursAustralian plesiosaurs The following is a list of members of the Plesiosauria that have been identified in Australia.... External links . Richard Forrest. . Adam Stuart Smith. . Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog. . Mike Everhart. . Mike Everhart. . Mike Everhart and other contributors. "". Somersert Museums County Service. (best known fossil) "". Allan Hall and Mark Henderson. Times Online, December 30, 2002. (Monster of Aramberri) "". BBC News, July 16, 2003. (Loch Ness, possible hoax) "". Glen J. Kuban. "". Internet reference to article. . - NET Television , from the National Science Foundation, December 6, 2006.