Plesioplatecarpus is an extinct genus of plioplatecarpine mosasaur known from the Late Cretaceous (middle Coniacian to middle Santonian stage) of the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Western Interior Basin of North America.[1]

Plesioplatecarpus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 88–84 Ma
Reconstructed skeleton in Geocentrum, University of Uppsala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Clade: Mosasauria
Family: Mosasauridae
Clade: Russellosaurina
Subfamily: Plioplatecarpinae
Tribe: Plioplatecarpini
Genus: Plesioplatecarpus
Konishi & Caldwell, 2011
Species:
P. planifrons
Binomial name
Plesioplatecarpus planifrons
(Cope, 1874 [originally Clidastes planifrons])
Synonyms

Platecarpus planifrons (Cope, 1874)

History

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Life restoration

Plesioplatecarpus was originally named by Cope in 1874 as Clidastes planifrons, and later it was reassigned to Platecarpus. The name Plesioplatecarpus was erected by Takuya Konishi and Michael W. Caldwell in 2011 to incorporate Platecarpus planifrons, which was found to be distinct from Platecarpus in a phylogenetic analysis. It is known from the holotype AMNH 1491, a nearly complete skeleton. Many other specimens are also referred to this species, including FHSM VP2116 and 2296, UALVP 24240 and 40402 and YPM 40508.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Konishi, Takuya; Michael W. Caldwell (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.