Attenborosaurus Bakker, 1993
Classification
Sauropterygia > Eosauropterygia > Eusauropterygia > Pistosauroidea > Plesiosauria > Pliosauroidea > Pliosauridae
Species
Attenborosaurus conybeari (Sollas, 1881) Bakker, 1993
Synonyms - Plesiosaurus laticeps
Material
An almost complete skeleton. Holotype destroyed (see below). Casts include BMNH R1339 (Natural History Museum, London) and TCD.47763 (Trinity College, Dublin), and a specimen in Oxford University. Other material pertaining to Attenborosaurus includes a second partial skeleton (40140/R1360), also from Charmouth, on display in the Natural History Museum, London
Distribution
Sinemurian, Lower Jurassic, Charmouth, Dorset, England.
Images
Photograph ofthe holotype of Attenborosaurus, before it was destroyed.The skeleton was mounted in a block together with a cast of the opposite side of the body and the opposite side of the head.
The cast of Attenborosaurus in the Natural History Musuem, London.
Cast of the Skull of Attenborosaurus, in Trinity College, Dublin.
Photographs of a cast of Attenborosaurus in the Department of Earth Science, Oxford University. Far left - full body view, middle - detail of the pectoral girle, right - close up of the skull. Interestingly, notice how the left side of the skull is exposed in this specimen: this contrasts with the other casts and the original specimen in which the right side of the skull is exposed. The skull in this specimen is therefore upsidedown. Photographs courtecy of Cait, used with kind permission.
Discussion
Unfortunately the original specimen of Attenborosaurus was destroyed together with some other plesiosaurs (e.g. Rhomaleosaurus megacephalus) during the Bristol Blitz Bristol in the Second World War. Casts were made, one of which can be seen on display in the Natural History Museum, London. There is also a damaged cast (specimen TCD.47763) in Trinity College, Dublin (Wyse Jackson, 2004), and a cast with the head on backwards in the Department of Earth Science, Oxford University.
Attenborosaurus is an unusual plesiosaur because it combines a long neck with a relatively large head. It is classified as a pliosaur, but has a long-neck. The genus name was introduced for Plesiosaurus conybeari, a species originally described by Sollas (1881). The dinosaur palaeontologist Bob Bakker coined the new name in honour of the esteemed wildlife documentarian, David Attenborough.
As an aside, Attenborosaurus just happens to be my favourite plesiosaur genus.