Muraenosaurus
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| Muraenosaurus Temporal range: Middle Jurassic, Callovian | |
|---|---|
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| M. leedsi fossils | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Family: | †Cryptoclididae |
| Subfamily: | †Muraenosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Muraenosaurus Seeley, 1874 |
| Type species | |
| †Muraenosaurus leedsii Seeley, 1874 | |
Muraenosaurus (meaning "moray eel lizard") is an extinct genus of cryptoclidid plesiosaur reptile, from the Middle Jurassic of England and possibly France.
Description
M. leedsii
With a human to scale
Muraenosaurus grew to around 6 metres (20 ft) long, with around half of that length being taken up by the animal's neck, which possessed 44 vertebrae. Behind the neck, Muraenosaurus had a short, relatively inflexible body and powerful flippers. The head was remarkably small compared to the overall size of the animal, being only around 37 centimetres (15 in) long.[1][2][3]
References
- ↑ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 75. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ↑ Seeley, HG. 1874. On Murænosaurus Leedsii, a Plesiosaurian from the Oxford Clay. Part I. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 30: 197-208.
- ↑ Andrews, CW. 1913. A descriptive catalogue of the Marine Reptiles of the Oxford Clay, Part II. British Museum (Natural History). pp.205pp.
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