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Plotosaurus bennisoni

Osteichthyes - Mosasauridae

Taxonomy
Kolposaurus bennisoni was named by Camp (1942). Its type specimen is UCMP 32778, a skull (skull, 18 anterior vertebrae, interclavicle, and rib fragments), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Gustine, UCMP V3718, which is in a Maastrichtian marine horizon in the Moreno Formation of California.

It was recombined as Plotosaurus bennisoni by Camp (1951), Russell (1967), Fanti et al. (2014), Driscoll et al. (2019).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1942Kolposaurus bennisoni Camp p. 2 figs. 1-3, 13-15, 17; Pl. 1
1951Plotosaurus bennisoni Camp p. 822
1967Plotosaurus bennisoni Russell p. 146
2014Plotosaurus bennisoni Fanti et al.
2019Plotosaurus bennisoni Driscoll et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
—Squamata()
familyMosasauridae
subfamilyMosasaurinaeGervais 1853
tribeMosasaurini
genusPlotosaurusCamp 1951
speciesbennisoni()

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.

†Plotosaurus bennisoni Camp 1942
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
C. L. Camp 1942 specialized genus assigned the subfamily Mosasaurinae. Skull
slender and elongate, mandibular and pterygoid teeth numerous, orbits and nares ex ceptionally large, orbits directed laterally, frontals widely expanded, pineal foramen large, parietal crest narrow, pterygoids separated on the midline, quadrate relatively small and similar Mosasaurus, no basioccipital canals. Lower jaws slender with long dentary segment and with tips dentaries produced well beyond the premaxillaries, coronoids elongated, angulars reaching nearly posterior tips articulars. Vertebrae without zygosphenes and with no zygapophyses the mid- and postero-dorsal region; nine ten cervical hypapophyses; neural spines rising low crest behind the neck; dagger-shaped interclavicle; pygal vertebrae, chevrons supporting terminal caudal fin; clavicle short, not reaching scapula; scapula with elongate anterior wing; coracoids not emarginated; pectoral paddles hyperphalangic and narrow; humerus broader than long, without radial process.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialuc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticf
Diet: carnivoref
Vision: well-developedf
Reproduction: ovoviviparousf
Created: 2018-01-05 16:32:54
Modified: 2018-01-05 16:32:54
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Gervais 1852, Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988

Age range: Maastrichtian or 72.20000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (2 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Maastrichtian72.2 - 66.0USA (California) Plotosaurus bennisoni (96736) Pythonomorpha indet. (type locality: 24846)