Cryptoclididae
| Cryptoclididae Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - Late Cretaceous | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Muraenosaurus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Plesiosauria |
| Suborder: | Plesiosauroidea |
| Family: | Cryptoclididae Williston, 1925 |
| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
Cryptoclididae is a family of medium-sized plesiosaurs that lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous. In 2010, Kaiwhekea was transferred to Leptocleididae and Aristonectes was transferred to Elasmosauridae.[2]
Description
A pair of Muraenosaurus leedsi
They had long necks, broad and short skulls and densely packed teeth. They fed on small soft-bodied preys such as small fish and crustaceans.
Cladogram based on Ketchum and Benson (2010):[2]
| Cryptoclididae |
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In popular culture
Cryptoclidus oxonensis
One genus, Cryptoclidus, was featured in the BBC television series Walking with Dinosaurs.
References
- ↑ Gasparini, Z., Bardet, N., and Iturralde-Vinent, M. (2002). "A new cryptoclidid plesiosaur from the Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) of Cuba". Geobios 35 (2): 201–211. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(02)00019-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ketchum, H. F., and Benson, R. B. J. (2010). "Global interrelationships of Plesiosauria (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) and the pivotal role of taxon sampling in determining the outcome of phylogenetic analyses". Biological Reviews 85: 361–392. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2009.00107.x. PMID 20002391.
External links
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