Alternative spellings: Plesiosauri, Plesiosaurida
Parent taxon: Sauropterygia according to J. P. O'Gorman and R. A. Otero 2023
See also Andrews 1910, Antunes 1964, Araújo et al. 2015, Araujo et al. 2015, Bardet et al. 1991, Benson and Druckenmiller 2014, Brown 1981, Carroll 1988, Ceballos-Izquierdo et al. 2023, Clark et al. 2024, Cruickshank and Fordyce 2002, Delair 1960, Druckenmiller and Russell 2006, Druckenmiller and Russell 2008, Fabbri et al. 2013, Fostowicz-Frelik and Gazdzicki 2001, Gadow 1898, Gasparini 1997, Gasparini et al. 2002, Gasparini and Goñi 1985, Gasparini and O'Gorman 2014, Gasparini and Salgado 2000, Gasparini et al. 2007, Gasparini et al. 2015, Gomez-Perez and Noe 2011, Hay 1902, Hay 1930, Hiller and Mannering 2004, Hiller and Mannering 2005, Hiller et al. 2005, Hiller et al. 2014, Hiller et al. 2017, Jaekel 1910, Jaekel 1911, Kuhn 1946, Kuhn 1966, Kuhn 1971, Lazo and Cichowolski 2003, Martinelli and Forasiepi 2004, Marx et al. 2021, Mateus et al. 2012, Meza-Velez and O'Gorman 2021, Miller et al. 2020, Moyano-Paz et al. 2022, Nicholls and Meckert 2002, Novas et al. 2015, O'Gorman 2012, O'Gorman 2015, O'Gorman 2016, O'Gorman 2016, O'Gorman 2016, O'Gorman 2019, O'Gorman 2020, O'Gorman 2021, O'Gorman 2022, O'Gorman et al. 2021, O'Gorman et al. 2023, O'Gorman and Coria 2017, O'Gorman et al. 2018, O'Gorman and Gasparini 2013, O'Gorman et al. 2013, O'Gorman et al. 2014, O'Gorman et al. 2018, O'Gorman et al. 2015, O'Gorman et al. 2014, O'Gorman et al. 2017, O'Gorman et al. 2019, O'Gorman et al. 2021, O'Gorman et al. 2018, O'Gorman et al. 2011, O'Gorman et al. 2013, O'Gorman et al. 2015, O'Gorman et al. 2019, O'Gorman et al. 2016, O'Gorman and Varela 2010, O'Keefe 2001, O'Keefe 2004, O'Keefe 2008, Osborn 1903, Osborn 1903, Osborn 1904, Otero 2024, Otero and O'Gorman 2013, Otero et al. 2016, Otero et al. 2018, Otero et al. 2012, Otero et al. 2013, Otero et al. 2014, Otero et al. 2014, Otero et al. 2015, Otero and Soto-Acuña 2021, Otero et al. 2009, O’Gorman et al. 2020, O’Gorman et al. 2024, O’Gorman et al. 2018, Páramo-Fonseca et al. 2019, Perrier 1928, Previtera and González Riga 2008, Rieppel 1994, Roberts et al. 2020, Roxo 1937, Sachs et al. 2017, Salgado et al. 2007, Sepkoski 2002, Serratos et al. 2017, Smith 2015, Smith and Araújo 2017, Storrs 1997, Thurmond and Jones 1981, Vincent and Benson 2012, Vincent and Storrs 2019, Vincent et al. 2019, Welles and Gregg 1971, Wiffen and Moisley 1986, Wintrich et al. 2017, Zverkov and Pervushov 2020 and Zverkov et al. 2023
Sister taxa: Atopodentatus, Cercidopleura, Dicranopleura, Eosauropterygia, Eusauropterygia, Ischyrosaurus, Microleptosaurus, Nanchangosauroidea, Nothosauria, Nothosauriformes, Pistosauria, Placodontia, Placodontiformes, Simosauria
Subtaxa: Aptychodon Aptychodon cretaceus Bathyspondylus Cimoliasaurus lissaensis Cimoliasaurus teplicensis Cimoliosaurus nazarowi Discosaurus planior Discosaurus vetustus Elasmosaurus intermedius Elasmosaurus orientalis Embaphias Embaphias circulosus Eoplesiosaurus Eretmosaurus Gymocetus Hexatarsostinus Hunosaurus fasseli Iserosaurus littoralis Lindwurmia Lutkesaurus Mauisaurus brachiolatus Megalneusaurus Namuncurania Neoplesiosauria Nothosaurops Oligosimus Oligosimus grandaevus Orophosaurus Orophosaurus pauciporus Peloneustes kanzleri Piptomerus Piptomerus hexagonus Piptomerus megaloporus Piptomerus microporus Piratosaurus Piratosaurus plicatus Plesiosauriformes Plesiosauroidea Plesiosaurus affinis Plesiosaurus australis Plesiosaurus balticus Plesiosaurus bernardi Plesiosaurus brachistospondylus Plesiosaurus brevifemur Plesiosaurus brevis Plesiosaurus continuus Plesiosaurus cycnodeirus Plesiosaurus degenhardti Plesiosaurus ellipsospondylus Plesiosaurus euryspondylus Plesiosaurus gouldii Plesiosaurus hexagonalis Plesiosaurus infraplanus Plesiosaurus latispinus Plesiosaurus levis Plesiosaurus lockwoodii Plesiosaurus megapleuron Plesiosaurus microdeirus Plesiosaurus mudgei Plesiosaurus neocomiensis Plesiosaurus nordmanni Plesiosaurus ophiodeirus Plesiosaurus pachyomus Plesiosaurus phillipsi Plesiosaurus planispondylus Plesiosaurus planus Plesiosaurus planus trigonalis Plesiosaurus platydeirus Plesiosaurus poecilospondylus Plesiosaurus shirleyensis Plesiosaurus subdepressus Plesiosaurus traversii Plesiosaurus truncatus Plesiosaurus validus Plesiosaurus winspitensis Pliosauroidea Pliosaurus planus Plistosauroidea Polycotylus donicus Polycotylus epigurgitis Polycotylus orientalis Polycotylus tenuis Polycotylus ultimus Polyptychodon Polyptychodon neocomiensis Rhaeticosaurus Rhomaleosauridae Scarrisaurus Stereosaurus cratynotus Stereosaurus platyomus Stereosaurus stenomus Stratesaurus Sulmosaurus Taphrosaurus Teleosaurus neogaeus Uronautes Uronautes cetiformis Xenopsaria Zahrisaurus
Ecology: aquatic carnivore