Microcleidus
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Microcleidus Temporal range: Early Jurassic |
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| Fossil M. homalospondylus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Plesiosauria |
| Suborder: | Plesiosauroidea |
| Genus: | Microcleidus |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Occitanosaurus tournemirensis Plesiosaurus tournemirensis |
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Occitanosaurus tournemirensis Plesiosaurus tournemirensis
Microcleidus is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the plesiosauroidea suborder. It was about the size of a medium sized dolphin, reaching a length of 3 metres (9.8 ft). The species has 40 neck vertebrae and a short tail of 28 vertebrae.
Species include: Microcleidus homalospondylus (Owen 1865) and Microcleidus macropterus (Seeley 1865).
Occitanosaurus tournemirensis (originally "Plesiosaurus" tournemirensis), was named by Sciau et al. in 1990, based on a nearly complete skeleton of an animal approximately 4 meters (13 ft) long. It was later found to be a species of Microcleidus.
The following cladogram follows an analysis by Ketchum & Benson, 2011.
"Pistosaurus postcranium"
Hauffiosaurus spp.
advanced pliosaurids
NHMUK 49202 [now Anningasaura lymense]
advanced rhomaleosaurids
"Plesiosaurus" macrocephalus
OUMNH J.10337 [now Stratesaurus taylori]
Seeleyosaurus guilelmiimperatoris
...
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