What is a Plesiosaur?

Plesiosaur: a Mesozoic marine reptile
Suborder: Plesiosauria
Order: Sauropterygia
These Mesozoic marine reptiles comprise one of the most succesful and widely distributed groups of marine tetrapods (Callaway and Nicholls, 1997).

Note that since 1865 there have been few attempts to clarify the anatomy and status of the species Plesiosaurus or, even of the genus itself. As a result a historical lack of understanding of the range of variation in Plesiosaurs and poor knowledge of their generic characteristics has caused great confusion on their exact classification (Callaway and Nicholls, 1997).


Table of Contents

What is a Plesiosaur

Types of Plesiosaurs

Environment

Anatomy

Evolution

Extinction

Fossils