Rhomaleosauridae
Encyclopedia
Rhomaleosauridae is a family of extinct reptiles in the Plesiosauria
order. It includes the Macroplata
, Maresaurus
, Rhomaleosaurus
, Yuzhoupliosaurus
and Meyerasaurus
genera.
Plesiosauria
Plesiosauria is an order of Mesozoic marine reptiles. Plesiosaurs first appeared in the Early Jurassic Period and became especially common during the Jurassic Period, thriving until the K-T extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Period.The name "plesiosaur" is used to refer to the order...
order. It includes the Macroplata
Macroplata
Macroplata , meaning, , is an extinct genus of Early Jurassic basal plesiosaur which grew up to in length. Like other plesiosaurs, Macroplata probably lived on a diet of fish, using its sharp needle-like teeth to catch prey. Its shoulder bones were fairly large, indicating a powerful forward...
, Maresaurus
Maresaurus
Maresaurus is an extinct genus of pliosaur from the Middle Jurassic of what is now Argentina. The type species, Maresaurus coccai, was named by Gasparini in 1997. Recent phylogenetic analysis found Maresaurus to be a rhomaleosaurid ....
, Rhomaleosaurus
Rhomaleosaurus
Rhomaleosaurus is an extinct genus of Early Jurassic rhomaleosaurid pliosauroid known from Northamptonshire and from Yorkshire of the United Kingdom. It was first named by Harry Seeley in 1874 and the type species is Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni...
, Yuzhoupliosaurus
Yuzhoupliosaurus
Yuzhoupliosaurus is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Middle Jurassic of China. The genus is known only from a lower jaw, a vertebra, and fragments of a pectoral girdle...
and Meyerasaurus
Meyerasaurus
Meyerasaurus is an extinct genus of rhomaleosaurid known from Holzmaden, Baden-Württemberg of southeastern Germany.-Description:Meyerasaurus is known from the holotype SMNS 12478, articulated and complete skeleton which preserved the skull, exposed in ventral view. The skull has a length of ,...
genera.