Leivanectes bernardoi was named by Páramo-Fonseca et al. (2019) [Elasmosaurid with the following combination of features: premaxilla without dorsal medial ridge, differing from Callawayasaurus colombiensis, Eromangasaurus australis, and Late Cretaceous elasmosaurids; meso-distal measurement of the third and fourth premaxillary alveoli approximately 14% of the preorbital length, differing from the smaller alveoli that was recorded for Callawayasaurus colombiensis, Tuarangisaurus keyesi and aristonectines; three alveoli pairs adjacent to the mandibular symphysis, a feature shared with Terminonatator ponteixensis; five premaxillary alveoli, which differs from that of Elasmosaurus platyurus (6þ) and Eromangasaurus australis (3e4); vomers lacking a posterior medial V-shaped notch near the internal nares to accommodate the pterygoids, which differs from that of Lagenanectes richterae and Morturneria seymourensis; seven mandibular alveoli anterior to the orbit, which differs from Callawayasaurus colombiensis (~11), Futabasaurus suzukii (~12), Libonectes morgani (~10), Styxosaurus spp (9þ), Terminonatator ponteixensis (~10), Thalassomedon haningtoni (~10), and Tuarangisaurus keyesi (~10); absence of a dentary ventral elaboration along the mandibular symphysis, which differs from that of Callawayasaurus colombiensis, Eromangasaurus australis, Lagenanectes richterae and Zarafasaurus oceanis; and elliptical external nares, which differs from the cordate external nares of Nakonanectes bradti.]. Its type specimen is FCG-CBP-22, a partial skull (anterior half of the skull comprising the rostrum, part of the orbital area and anterior half of the mandible), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Loma La Cabrera, Villa de Leiva, which is in an Aptian marine claystone in the Paja Formation of Colombia.