Plesiosaurus

Extinct

This animal is extinct. No living individuals remain.

Plesiosaurus was a long-necked marine reptile of Jurassic seas. This account focuses on Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus, made famous by the articulated skeleton found by Mary Anning in southern England.

Plesiosaurus, AI-generated lifelike reconstruction — AI-generated reconstruction. Colors and soft tissues are interpretive.

At a glance

Habitat: Open ocean
Diet: Carnivore
Food: Small marine animals.

Classification

Common name: Plesiosaurus
Browse group: Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon: Plesiosaurus

Three things to know

It had four flipper-like limbs.
Mary Anning found a famous skeleton in 1823.
Plesiosaurus is one genus of plesiosaur.

Habitat and range

Fossils from southern England record Plesiosaurus in ancient marine environments. The genus is just one member of the plesiosaur group, which had a much wider geographic and geological range.

Appearance and adaptations

A small head, long neck and compact body were accompanied by four flippers. Those limbs were adapted for propulsion in water. Fossil skeletons preserve the unusual proportions that once puzzled early scientists.

Diet and behaviour

The skull and teeth suggest relatively small prey, including fish and crustaceans. Swimming was powered by the flippers. The famous skeleton found in 1823 helped establish the reality of extinct animals unlike living species.