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Morenosaurus stocki

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Elasmosauridae

Taxonomy
Morenosaurus stocki was named by Welles (1943). Its type specimen is CIT 2754 (California Institute of Technology), a set of postcrania (a fairly complete skeleton, lacking only the head, andteiror part of the neck, and parts of the paddles), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Panoche Hills (CIT 354), which is in a Maastrichtian marine horizon in the Moreno Formation of California.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1943Morenosaurus stocki Welles
1962Morenosaurus stocki Welles pp. 3, 76 fig. 22
1999Morenosaurus stocki Carpenter p. 165
2019Morenosaurus stocki O'Gorman
2019Morenosaurus stocki O'Gorman et al.

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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
superfamilyPlesiosauroideaWelles 1943
familyElasmosauridaeCope 1869
—Weddellonectia
genusMorenosaurus
speciesstocki

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.

†Morenosaurus stocki Welles 1943
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
S. P. Welles 19432 pectorals, 17 dorsals, 3 sacrals, 30 caudals. Lateral longitudinal ridge on 18th and 17th prepectorals, vertebrae strongly depressed with deep median dorsal and ventral notches on the articulating faces, except in the dorsal series. Caudals with chevron facets equallt developed on anterior and posterior ends of centra. Interclavicle weakly keeled and projecting slightly anteriorly. Clavicle with pronounced anterior shoulder, anterior border straight. Scapulae meeting in midline, projecting slightly posteriorly, but not meeting coracoids; dorsal process long and narrow, strong ridge separating ventral plate and dorsal process. Coracoids with long median symphysis projecting in front of glenoid; strongly concave anteriorly. Humerus with weak anterior knee and acute posterodistal border, distal breadth 78 percent of length, radial and ulnar facets strongly concave, the radial larger; capitulum and trochanter completely separated by confluence of anterior and posterior grooves across head of humerus. Radius much larger than ulna, both concave medially. Anterior carpals and metacarpal with acute anteroproximal angles. Pubis broader than long, with slight posterior and shallower lateral concavities; anterior broder with small central concavity. Ilium with subrounded acetabular region and sacral face transversely elongated. Ischium short and distally broad. Femur stocky, distal breadth 72 percent of length, capitulum and trochanter almost separated by anterior and posterior grooves, trochanter inclining 65 degrees to axis of shaft. Total length estimated at 8 metres.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Environment: marineo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: aquatico
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoreo
Reproduction: viviparouso
Created: 2009-07-20 06:05:48
Modified: 2011-08-12 01:58:15
Source: o = order
Reference: Kiessling 2004

Age range: Maastrichtian or 72.10000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (2 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Maastrichtian72.1 - 66.0USA (California) Morenosaurus stocki (76732 type locality: 116613)