Archaeonectrus is an extinct genus of pliosaur from the Early Jurassic (Sinemurian) of what is now southeastern England. The type species is Archaeonectrus (originally "Plesiosaurus") rostratus, first named by Sir Richard Owen in 1865, which was moved to its own genus by N.I. Novozhilov in 1964. It was a relatively small plesiosaur, measuring 3.4–3.67 m (11.2–12.0 ft) long.

Additional specimen

Classification

Illustration of the holotype specimen, NHMUK PV OR 38525 (formerly BMNH 38525), dated to c. 1870
Life restoration

The cladogram below shows Archaeonectrus phylogenetic position among other plesiosaurs, following Benson et al. (2012).

PlesiosauriaNeoplesiosauria Pliosauridae Plesiosauroidea Rhomaleosauridae Stratesaurus taylori Macroplata tenuiceps Avalonnectes arturi Eurycleidus arcuatus Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
NeoplesiosauriaPliosauridae Plesiosauroidea
Pliosauridae
Plesiosauroidea
RhomaleosauridaeStratesaurus taylori Macroplata tenuiceps Avalonnectes arturi Eurycleidus arcuatus Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Stratesaurus taylori
Macroplata tenuiceps Avalonnectes arturi Eurycleidus arcuatus Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Macroplata tenuiceps
Avalonnectes arturi Eurycleidus arcuatus Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Avalonnectes arturi
Eurycleidus arcuatus Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Eurycleidus arcuatus
Meyerasaurus victor Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Meyerasaurus victor
Maresaurus coccai Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Maresaurus coccai
Atychodracon megacephalus Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Atychodracon megacephalus
Archaeonectrus rostratus Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Archaeonectrus rostratus
Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni
Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus
Rhomaleosaurus thorntoni
Rhomaleosaurus zetlandicus

See also

  • Sepkoski, J.J. (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 363: 1-560.

External links

  • in the Paleobiology Database