Elasmosaurus platyurus Cope 1868 (elasmosaur)

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Elasmosauridae

Alternative combination: Cimoliosaurus platyurus

Synonym: Discosaurus carinatus Cope 1868 [objective synonym]

Full reference: E. D. Cope. 1868. On a new large enaliosaur. The American Journal of Science, series 2 46(137):263-264

Belongs to Elasmosaurus according to S. Sachs 2005

See also Carpenter 1999, Cope 1868, Cope 1869, Cope 1869, Hay 1902, Hay 1930, Lydekker 1889, Perrier 1928, Storrs 1999, Welles 1940, Welles 1943, Welles 1949, Welles 1962, Williston 1903 and Williston 1906

Sister taxon: Elasmosaurus marshi

Type specimens:

  • Elasmosaurus platyurus: ANSP 10081, a skeleton (a skeleton lacking only the skull and paddles, the girdles have since been lost). Its type locality is Elasmosaurus type, McAllaster Butte, which is in a Campanian/Campanian marine horizon in the Pierre Shale Formation of Kansas.
  • Discosaurus carinatus:

Ecology: aquatic carnivore

Distribution: found only at Elasmosaurus type, McAllaster Butte

Show more details


Specimen images are retrieved through the ePANDDA API.


Click image to enlarge. Click to access iDigBio record.