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Kronosaurus queenslandicus

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Pliosauridae

Taxonomy
Kronosaurus queenslandicus was named by Longman (1924). Its type specimen is QM F1609, a mandible, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Dunraven Station, Hughenden area, which is in an Albian marine lime mudstone in the Toolebuc Formation of Australia. It is the type species of Kronosaurus.

It was considered a nomen vanum by Welles (1962).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1924Kronosaurus queenslandicus Longman p. 26
1935Kronosaurus queenslandicus White p. 220 figs. text fig. 1; Pl. 9
1959Kronosaurus queenslandicus Anonymous p. 447
1991Kronosaurus queenslandicus Fordyce p. 1173
2001Kronosaurus queenslandicus O'Keefe p. 18
2003Kronosaurus queenslandicus Kear
2006Kronosaurus queenslandicus Scanlon p. 283
2023Kronosaurus queenslandicus Poropat et al. p. 148

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
RankNameAuthor
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
Diapsida()
suborderSauropterygia
orderPlesiosauriade Blainville 1835
superfamilyPliosauroideaWelles 1943
familyPliosauridaeSeeley 1874
Thalassophonea
subfamilyBrachaucheninae(Williston 1925)
genusKronosaurus
speciesqueenslandicus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
T. E. White 1935"A giant pliosaur with four teeth in the premaxillary, narial opening midway of the length of the skull, no medial palatal vacuity, epipterygoid broad and plate-like, pterygoids covering the brain case ventrally, brain case compact, basioccipital short, basisphenoid exposed on the sides of the neck of the condyle and dorsally through the foramen magnum, paroccipital bar suturally unites with quadrate ramus of the pterygoid; dentaries fused at the symphysis."
B. P. Kear 2003"Skull markedly broad and flat with large, dorsally directed orbits (condition reported as being less marked in specimens derived from Doncaster Member deposits, [Molnar, 1982a and Molnar, 1991]); interorbital region bearing up to three distinct longitudinal grooves. Pterygoids extensively underlapping basicranium and with interpterygoid vacuity situated beneath rather than anterior to the basicranium (character state is unknown in K. boyacensis). Paroccipital process contacts quadrate flange of pterygoid at lateral articulation only. Hyoids robust. Posterior mandibular teeth apparently projecting lateral to the snout whilst maxillary teeth project medial to the lower jaw. Zygapophyses apparently absent from both posterior dorsal and caudal vertebrae. Coracoid and pubis both markedly anteroposteriorly elongate."
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatitesuperf
Environment: marinesuperf
Locomotion: actively mobilesuperf
Life habit: nektonicsuperf
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoresuperf
Reproduction: viviparouso
Dispersal: direct/internalsuperf
Created: 2005-11-07 12:13:24
Modified: 2009-07-25 10:49:01
Source: superf = superfamily, o = order
References: Kiessling 2004, Hampe 2005

Age range: Late/Upper Albian or 105.30000 to 99.60000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Albian105.3 - 99.6Australia (Queensland) Kronosaurus queenslandicus (type locality: 110465)