List of mosasaur genera

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This list of mosasaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the family Mosasauridae or the parent clade Mosasauroidea, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered mosasauroid. Non-mosasaurid mosasauroids shall be noted as such. The list currently includes 91 genera, out of which 57 are considered valid (47 mosasaurids and 10 other mosasauroids).

Tylosaurus proriger mounted skeleton in the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado

Scope and terminology

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There is no official, canonical list of mosasaur genera but one of the most thorough attempts can be found on the "Pythonomorpha" section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive.

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

  • Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
  • Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. In this case, these nomina nuda will be deleted from this list in favor of the published name.
  • Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
  • Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features.

Mosasaur genera

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Genus Authors Year Status Location Notes

Acteosaurus

Meyer

1860

Valid

  Slovenia

More basal than the Mosasauridae, potentially a non-mosasaurid mosasauroid, though likely more basal.[1] Perhaps a dolichosaurid.

Adriosaurus

Seeley

1881

Valid

  Slovenia

More basal than the Mosasauridae, its position within Squamata is uncertain.

Aigialosaurus

Kramberger

1892

Valid

  Croatia

Non-mosasaurid mosasauroid, classified within the Aigialosauridae.

Amphekepubis

Mehl

1930

Nomen dubium

  Mexico

Possible junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Amphorosteus

Gibbs

1851

Nomen dubium

  USA

Nomen dubium

Ancylocentrum

Schmidt

1927

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Prognathodon.

Angolasaurus

Telles-Antunes

1964

Valid

  Angola   Niger   USA   Brazil

Baptosaurus

Marsh

1870

Jr. synonym

N/A

Junior synonym of Halisaurus.

Baseodon

Leidy

1865

Jr. synonym

N/A

Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Batrachiosaurus

Harlan

1839

Jr. synonym

N/A

Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Bentiabasaurus

Polcyn
Schulp
Gonçalves

2023

Valid

  Angola

Brachysaurana

Strand

1928

Jr. synonym

N/A

Junior synonym of Prognathodon.

Brachysaurus

Williston

1897

Preoccupied

N/A

Preoccupied by a junior synonym of an iguanian lizard genus, Stenocercus;[2] referred to replacement names Brachysaurana and Ancylocentrum, of which Ancylocentrum has priority as such.

Carinodens

Woodward

1891

Valid

  Morocco
  Netherlands
  Ukraine
  Russia
  Belgium

Carsosaurus

Kornhuber

1893

Valid

  Slovenia

Clidastes

Cope

1868

Valid

  Russia
  Jordan
  Germany
  USA
  Sweden
  Mexico

Compressidens

Dollo

1924

Preoccupied

N/A

Preoccupied by a tusk shell; later renamed Carinodens.

Dallasaurus

Polcyn
Bell

2005

Valid

  USA

Dolichosaurus

Owen

1894

Valid

  UK

Non-mosasaurid mosasauroid.

Dollosaurus

Yakovlev

1901

Disputed

  Spain
  Sweden
  Russia

Possible junior synonym of Prognathodon.

Ectenosaurus

Russell

1967

Valid

  USA

Edestosaurus

Marsh

1871

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Clidastes.

Eidolosaurus

Nopcsa

1923

Valid

  Slovenia

Potentially a non-mosasaurid mosasauroid, though has an uncertain phylogenetic placement.

Elliptonodon

Emmons

1858

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Tylosaurus.

Eonatator

Bardet
Pereda Suberbiola
Iarochène
Bouya
Amaghzaz

2005

Valid

  Colombia
  Sweden

Eremiasaurus[3]

Leblanc
Caldwell
Bardet

2012

Valid

  Morocco

Type species is Eremiasaurus heterodontus.

Gavialimimus[4]

Strong
Caldwell
Konishi
Palci

2020 Valid   Morocco

Globidens

Gilmore

1912

Valid

  USA
  Belgium
  Jordan
  Angola
  Syria
  Morocco
  Egypt
  Brazil   Indonesia

Gnathomortis[5] Lively 2020 Valid   USA

Goronyosaurus

Azzaroli
de Guili
Ficcarelli
Torre

1972

Valid

  Morocco

Haasiasaurus

Polcyn
Tchernov
Jacobs

2003

Valid

  State of Palestine

Hainosaurus

Dollo

1885

Valid

  Sweden
  Russia
  Poland
  USA
  France
  Belgium
  Spain

Halisaurus

Marsh

1869

Valid

  Morocco
  Niger
  Jordan
  Peru
  DRC
  USA
  Belgium

Renamed Baptosaurus Marsh, 1870 when Marsh thought the name was preoccupied by a fish: Halosaurus. Modern rules allow the original.

Harranasaurus[6] Kaddumi 2009 Valid   Jordan

Holcodus

Gibbs

1851

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Platecarpus.

Holosaurus

Marsh

1880

Preoccupied

Referred to Platecarpus.

Hydrosaurus

Kornhuber

1873

Preoccupied

Preoccupied by an agamid lizard; renamed Pontosaurus.

Igdamanosaurus

Zdansky

1935

Valid

  Niger
  Egypt
  Morocco

Jormungandr

Zietlow
Boyd
Van Vranken

2023 Valid   USA
Kaikaifilu

Otero
Soto-Acuña
Rubilar-Rogers
Gutstein

2016 Valid   Antarctica
Khinjaria[7]

Longrich
Polcyn
Jalil
Pereda-Superbiola
Bardet

2024 In press   Morocco

Kolposaurus

Camp

1942

Preoccupied

Preoccupied by a junior synonym of Nothosaurus,[8] referred to Plotosaurus

Komensaurus

Caldwell
Palci

2007

Valid

  Slovenia

Kourisodon

Nicholls
Meckert

2002

Valid

  Japan
  Canada

Lakumasaurus

Novas
Fernandez
Gasparini
de Lirio
Mumez
Puerta

2002

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Taniwhasaurus.

Latoplatecarpus[9]

Konishi
Caldwell

2011

Valid

  Canada

Type species is Latoplatecarpus willistoni. A second species is Latoplatecarpus nichollsae originally described in genus Plioplatecarpus.[10]

Leiodon

Owen

1841

Preoccupied

  Spain
  Ukraine
  UK

Preoccupied by a fish, referred to Liodon.

Lesticodus

Leidy

1861

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Lestosaurus

Marsh

1872

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Platecarpus.

Liodon

Agassiz

1846

Nomen dubium

  USA
  Germany
  New Zealand
  Angola

Dubious genus due to the fragmentary nature of the type specimen and the type species L. anceps. All species referred to it likely do not belong to the same genus.

Macrosaurus

Owen

1849

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Halisaurus.

Megapterygius[11]

Konishi
Ohara
Misaki
Matsuoka
Street
Caldwell

2023 Valid   Japan

Mesoleptos

Cornalia

1851

Valid

  Croatia
  Slovenia
  State of Palestine

More basal than the Mosasauridae, its position within Squamata is uncertain.

Moanasaurus

Wiffen

1980

Valid

Mosasaurus

Conybeare

1822

Valid

  UK
  Bulgaria
  Canada
  New Zealand
  Netherlands
  Turkey
  Poland
  Angola
  USA
  DRC
  Russia
  South Africa
  Sweden
  Poland
  Syria
  Spain
  Japan
  Denmark
  Belgium
  Niger
  Italy
  Jordan
  Morocco

Nectoportheus

Cope

1868

Jr. synonym Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Opetiosaurus

Kornhuber

1901

Disputed Possible junior synonym of Aigialosaurus.

Oterognathus

Dollo

1889

Jr. synonym Junior synonym of Plioplatecarpus.

Pannoniasaurus

Makádi
Caldwell
Ősi

2012

Valid

Phosphorosaurus

Dollo

1889

Valid

  Angola

Platecarpus

Cope

1869

Valid

  USA
  Angola
  Russia
  Syria
  Egypt
  Sweden
  Morocco
  Jordan
  Canada
  Brazil
  Spain
  Niger
  Australia

Plesioplatecarpus[9]

Konishi
Caldwell

2011

Valid

Type species is Plesioplatecarpus planifrons, originally described in genus Clidastes, and later recombined in Platecarpus.

Plesiotylosaurus

Camp

1942

Valid

Plioplatecarpus

Dollo

1882

Valid

  USA

Plotosaurus

Camp

1951

Valid

  USA

Pluridens

Lingham-Sollar

1998

Valid

  Niger

Pontosaurus

Kornhuber

1873

Valid

  Croatia
  Lebanon

Potentially a non-mosasaurid mosasauroid, though has an uncertain phylogenetic placement.

Portunatasaurus

Campbell Mekarski
Japundžić
Krizmanić
Caldwell

2019

Valid

  Croatia

Non-mosasaurid mosasauroid.

Proaigialosaurus

Kuhn

1958

Valid Non-mosasaurid mosasauroid, classified within the Aigialosauridae.

Prognathodon

Dollo

1889

Valid

  Belgium
  USA
  Saudi Arabia
  Spain
  Israel
  Angola
  Italy
  New Zealand
  DRC
  Russia
  Canada
  Poland
  France
  Germany
  Netherlands
  Syria
  Jordan

Possibly paraphyletic.

Prognathosaurus

Dollo

1889

Jr. synonym Junior synonym of Prognathodon.

Pterycollosaurus

Dollo

1882

Jr. synonym Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Rhamphosaurus

Cope

1872

Preoccupied

Preoccupied by another lizard, referred to Tylosaurus.

Rhinosaurus

Marsh

1872

Preoccupied

Preoccupied,[12] referred to Tylosaurus.

Rikisaurus[13]

Wiffen

1990

Jr. synonym

  New Zealand

Junior synonym of Moanasaurus.

Rikkisaurus

Bell
Caldwell
Holmes
Wiffen
McKee

1999

Lapsus calami

Lapsus calami of Rikisaurus.

Romeosaurus[14]

Palci
Caldwell
Papzzoni

2013

Valid

  Italy

Russellosaurus[15]

Polson
Bell

2005

Valid

  USA

Sarabosaurus

Polcyn
Bardet
Albright
Titus

2023 Valid   USA

Saurochampsa

Wagler

1830

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Mosasaurus.

Selmasaurus[16]

Wright
Shannon

1988

Valid

  USA

Sironectes

Cope

1840

Jr. synonym

Junior synonym of Platecarpus.

Stelladens

Longrich
Jalil
Pereda-Suberbiola
Bardet

2023 Valid   Morocco

Taniwhasaurus

Hector

1874

Valid

  Antarctica
  New Zealand
  Japan

Tethysaurus[17]

Bardet
Superbiola
Jalil

2003

Valid

  Morocco

Thalassotitan

Longrich
Jalil
Khaldoune
Yazami
Pereda-Suberbiola
Bardet

2022

Valid

  Morocco

Tylosaurus

Marsh

1872

Valid

  USA
  Canada
  Spain
  Jordan
  Mexico
  Sweden
  New Zealand

Vallecillosaurus[18]

Smith
Buchy

2008

Valid

  Mexico

More basal than the Mosasauridae, its position within Squamata is uncertain.

Xenodens

Longrich
Bardet
Schulp
Jalil

2021

Valid

  Morocco

Yaguarasaurus

Paramo

1994

Valid

  Colombia

 
Aigialosaurus.
 
Clidastes.
 
Globidens.
 
Goronyosaurus.
 
Hainosaurus.
 
Halisaurus.
 
Harranasaurus.
 
Latoplatecarpus.
 
Mosasaurus.
 
Platecarpus.
 
Plesioplatecarpus.
 
Plioplatecarpus.
 
Plotosaurus.
 
Prognathodon.
 
Selmasaurus.
 
Taniwhasaurus.
 
Tylosaurus.
 
Vallecillosaurus.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Redescription of Acteosaurus tommasinii von Meyer, 1860, and a discussion of evolutionary trends within the clade Ophidiomorpha. 2010.
  2. ^ Stenocercus at Herpbreeder.com Archived April 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12-03-2007.
  3. ^ Leblanc, A.R.H.; Caldwell, M.W.; Bardet, N. (2012). "A new mosasaurine from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) phosphates of Morocco and its implications for mosasaurine systematics". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (1): 82–104. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.624145. S2CID 130559113.
  4. ^ Catherine R. C. Strong; Michael W. Caldwell; Takuya Konishi; Alessandro Palci (2020). "A new species of longirostrine plioplatecarpine mosasaur (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco, with a re-evaluation of the problematic taxon 'Platecarpus' ptychodon". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (21): 1769–1804. doi:10.1080/14772019.2020.1818322.
  5. ^ Lively, J.R. (2020). "Redescription and phylogenetic assessment of 'Prognathodon' stadtmani: implications for Globidensini monophyly and character homology in Mosasaurinae". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 40 (3): e1784183. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1784183.
  6. ^ Kaddumi, Hani F. (2009). "A new durophagous mosasaur (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Maastrichtian Muwaqqar Chalk Marl Formation of the Harrana Fauna". Fossils of the Harrana Fauna and the Adjacent Areas. Amman: Eternal River Museum of Natural History. pp. 36–48. OCLC 709582892.
  7. ^ Longrich, Nicholas R.; Polcyn, Michael J.; Jalil, Nour-Eddine; Pereda-Suberbiola, Xabier; Bardet, Nathalie (2024-03-01). "A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco". Cretaceous Research: 105870. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105870. ISSN 0195-6671.
  8. ^ Sauropterygia at Paleofile.com. Retrieved 12-03-2007.
  9. ^ a b Konishi, T.; Caldwell, M.W. (2011). "Two new plioplatecarpine (Squamata, Mosasauridae) genera from the Upper Cretaceous of North America, and a global phylogenetic analysis of plioplatecarpines". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (4): 754–783. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.579023. S2CID 85972311.
  10. ^ Cuthbertson, R.S.; Mallon, J.C.; Campione, N.E.; Holmes, R.B. (2007). "A new species of mosasaur (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Pierre Shale (lower Campanian) of Manitoba". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 44 (5): 593–606. Bibcode:2007CaJES..44..593C. doi:10.1139/e07-006.
  11. ^ Konishi, Takuya; Ohara, Masaaki; Misaki, Akihiro; Matsuoka, Hiroshige; Street, Hallie P.; Caldwell, Michael W. (2023). "A new derived mosasaurine (Squamata: Mosasaurinae) from south-western Japan reveals unexpected postcranial diversity among hydropedal mosasaurs". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2277921. ISSN 1477-2019.
  12. ^ Edward Drinker Cope "On the structure of the Pythonomorpha". (1872) Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 24:140-141
  13. ^ Wiffen, J. 1990: New mosasaurs (Reptilia; family Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand journal of geology and geophysics, 33: 67-85.
  14. ^ Alessandro Palci, Michael W. Caldwell and Cesare A. Papazzoni (2013). "A new genus and subfamily of mosasaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of northern Italy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 33 (3): 599–612. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.731024. S2CID 86646993.
  15. ^ Polcyn, M. J. & Bell Jr., G. L., 2005: Russellosaurus coheni n. gen., n. sp., a 92 million-year-old mosasaur from Texas (USA), and the definition of the parafamily Russellosaurina. –Netherlands Journal of Geosciences: Vol. 84, #3.
  16. ^ Wright, K. R. & Shannon, S. W., 1988: Selmasaurus russelli, a new plioplatecarpine mosasaur (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from Alabama. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 8, #1, pp. 102-107
  17. ^ Bardet, N., X. Pereda Suberbiola, and N-E. Jalil. 2003. A new mosasauroid (Squamata) from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian) of Morocco. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Palevol 2:607–616.
  18. ^ Smith, K.T. and Buchy, M-C. 2008 A new aigialosaur (Squamata-Anguimorpha) with soft tissue remains from the Upper Cretaceous of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(1): 85-94.

References

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