Elasmosaurus Cope, 1869
Classification
Sauropterygia > Eosauropterygia > Eusauropterygia > Pistosauroidea > Plesiosauria > Plesiosauroidea > Elasmosauridae
Elasmosaurus platyurus Cope, 1869
Material
Holotype Material - ANSP 10081, including the tip of the snout, occipital condyle and the majority of the cervical vertebrae. Pectoral and pelvic girdles now missing.
Distribution
Sharon Springs Member (Lower Campanian), McAllister Butte, Pierre Shale, Logan County, Kansas, USA.
Images
Discussion
Although Elasmosaurus is one of the most widely recognised plesiosaurs and stereotype for all elasmosaurids, it is actually poorly understood and in need of redescription. Nothing is known of the limbs, and most of the skull is unknown. The pectoral and pelvic girdles are figured but the actual fossil material is missing and it is possible that they have actually been destroyed (Carpenter, 1999). This is unfortunate because the pectoral girdle is seemingly atypical for elasmosaurids in that a pectoral bar is retained and the scapulae meet along the midline in a long suture. Elasmosaurus has the largest number of vertebrae in any plesiosaur (72). The genus Libonectes was introduced by Carpenter (1997) for 'Elasmosaurus' morgani, so now platyurus is the only valid species belonging to Elasmosaurus.
Toys
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Schleich
Elasmosaurus, posed in underwater flight. The eyes are too far
back, this is a common mistake in plesiosaur toys. Available
from Amazon! |
Carnegie, Elasmosaurus Thanks go to Nick for this one. Posed with an impossible 'swan-neck'. Available from Ebay! |
Many thanks to Alvin Rivera who contacted me with this Elasmosaurus by Bullyland. |
Best of the web - external links
http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Cope1870a.html
Page last updated June 2007. Adam Stuart Smith.
