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Platecarpus

Reptilia - Mosasauridae

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1851Holcodus Gibbes p. 9
1851Holcodus acutidens Gibbes p. 9
1869Platecarpus Cope p. 260
1870Platecarpus Cope p. 199
1871Platecarpus latispinus Cope
1872Lestosaurus Marsh
1873Platecarpus affinis Leidy
1873Lestosaurus Leidy p. 344
1874Platecarpus anguliferus Cope
1874Sironectes Cope p. 34
1875Mosasaurus acutidens Cope p. 270
1880Holosaurus Marsh p. 87
1902Sironectes Hay p. 468
1902Holcodus Hay p. 469
1902Holcodus acutidens Hay p. 469
1902Lestosaurus Hay p. 469
1902Platecarpus Hay p. 469
1902Holosaurus Hay p. 471
1915Platecarpus brachycephalus Loomis pp. 556-557
1930Platecarpus Hay p. 259
1930Platecarpus brachycephalus Hay p. 260
1930Platecarpus latispinus Hay p. 260
1930Holcodus Hay p. 261
1930Holcodus acutidens Hay p. 261
1930Holosaurus Hay p. 261
1930Sironectes Hay p. 264
1954Holcodus McDowell and Bogert p. 132
1954Holosaurus McDowell and Bogert p. 132
1954Platecarpus McDowell and Bogert p. 132
1954Sironectes McDowell and Bogert p. 132
1967Platecarpus Russell p. 148
1969Platecarpus Thurmond p. 72
1970Platecarpus Russell p. 373
1981Platecarpus Thurmond and Jones p. 158
1988Platecarpus Carroll
2002Platecarpus Novas et al.
2002Holocodus Sepkoski
2002Platecarpus Sepkoski
2005Platecarpus Bardet et al.
2005Platecarpus Bell and Polcyn p. 189
2010Platecarpus Konishi et al.
2012Platecarpus Konishi et al.
2013Platecarpus Bell Jr. et al. p. 576
2018Platecarpus Hornung et al. p. 551
2019Platecarpus Driscoll et al.
2024Platecarpus Longrich et al.
2024Platecarpus Plasse et al. p. 4

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Squamata()
familyMosasauridae
Russellosaurina(Bell 1997)
subfamilyPlioplatecarpinae(Dollo 1884)
Plioplatecarpini()
genusPlatecarpus

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.

G. †Platecarpus Cope 1869
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Invalid names: Holcodus coryphaeus Cope 1871 [synonym], Lestosaurus felix Marsh 1872 [synonym], Lestosaurus gracilis Marsh 1872 [synonym], Lestosaurus latifrons Marsh 1872 [synonym], Lestosaurus simus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Liodon ictericus Cope 1870 [synonym], Liodon mudgei Cope 1870 [synonym]
Invalid names: Holcodus Gibbes 1851 [synonym], Holosaurus Marsh 1880 [synonym], Lestosaurus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Platecarpus affinis Leidy 1873 [nomen dubium], Platecarpus anguliferus Cope 1874 [nomen vanum], Platecarpus brachycephalus Loomis 1915 [nomen dubium], Platecarpus glandiferus Cope 1871 [nomen dubium], Platecarpus latispinus Cope 1871 [nomen dubium], Platecarpus tectulus Cope 1871 [nomen dubium], Sironectes Cope 1874 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
E. D. Cope 1869"Dorsal vertebrae more or less depressed; the articular faces transversely ovate;" "the pterygoid teeth pleurodont."
T. Konishi et al. 2010Size moderate, mandible seldom reaching 0.7 m in length; small, acute predental rostrum on premaxilla may be present; premaxillo-maxillary suture posteriorly ascending in straight line; posterior termination of the suture between second and third maxillary tooth; 12 maxillary teeth; prefrontal forming posterior one-third of lateral border of external naris; incipient supraorbital process on prefrontal; lateral margin of frontal gently curved in preorbital region; lateral borders of frontal converging anterior to orbits; ventrolateral processes of frontal running parallel with each other; frontal forming median notch to receive anterior portion of parietal table; parietal foramen ovoid; lateral margins of parietal table forming parietal crest anterior to divergence of suspensorial rami; parietal postorbital process short, not reaching anterolateral corner of upper temporal fenestra; same process not forming dorsal plateau posteriorly adjacent to frontal ala; 10 or more pterygoid teeth; ectopterygoid process projecting anterolaterally from dentigerous body of pterygoid; posteroventral jugal process acutely pointing posteriorly; suprastapedial process of quadrate elongate, more than two-thirds total quadrate height; supra- and infrastapedial process unfused; quadrate ala projecting laterally nearly perpendicular to long axis of suprastapedial process in dorsal aspect; quadrate alar surface relatively planar; large, vertically elongate stapedial pit; elongate, parallel-sided stapedial notch; mandibular condyle gently convex, transversely wide; predental projection on dentary absent; 12 teeth in dentary; no extensive edentulous portion posterior to last dentary tooth on dentary; surangular constantly diverging anteriorly, dorsal and ventral borders straight; articular portion of glenoid fossa larger than surangular portion; retroarticular process short, bearing large foramina on ventral surface; marginal teeth posteromedially recurved, possessing anterior and posterior carinae, and lingual striations and labial facets; basal cross-section of these teeth subcircular; cervical intervertebral joint strongly curved; zygosphenes and zygantra rudimentary; scapular blade anteroventral border forming obtuse angle with long axis of scapular neck; more than half the length of scapular blade posteroventral border anteriorly embayed; coracoid fan-shaped, may be notched; humerus length only slightly exceeding distal width; four or five carpals; phalanges elongate.
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: Carroll 1988, Gervais 1852, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Turonian to the top of the Late/Upper Maastrichtian or 93.50000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (54 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Cretaceous145.0 - 66.0USA (Kansas) Liodon ictericus (199538)
Cenomanian - Turonian100.5 - 89.8Australia (Western Australia) Plioplatecarpinae indet. (110535)
Late/Upper Cretaceous100.5 - 66.0USA (Texas) P. sp. (106192)
Late/Upper Cretaceous100.5 - 66.0Egypt Platecarpus indet. (140710)
Turonian - Santonian93.9 - 83.6USA (Kansas) P. abruptus (107339) P. ictericus (38720) P. sp. (38721)
Late/Upper Turonian93.5 - 89.3Brazil P. sp. (142100)
Coniacian - Santonian89.8 - 83.6USA (Kansas) Liodon mudgei (199541)
Early/Lower Coniacian89.3 - 85.8Brazil P. sp. (126912)
Early/Lower Coniacian89.3 - 85.8USA (Texas) P. coryphaeus (106188)
Late/Upper Coniacian89.3 - 85.8USA (Kansas) P. coryphaeus, P. ictericus (118152) P. sp. (212963)
Late/Upper Coniacian - Early/Lower Santonian89.3 - 83.5USA (Texas) P. planifrons (151422)
Late/Upper Coniacian - Early/Lower Santonian89.3 - 83.5USA (Kansas) Clidastes planifrons (123571) P. ictericus (215772) P. planifrons (123572 123574)
Santonian86.3 - 83.6Australia (Western Australia) P. sp. (142716)
Santonian86.3 - 83.6USA (Kansas) P. planifrons (99385)
Santonian86.3 - 83.6USA (North Dakota) P. sp. (107427)
Santonian - Maastrichtian86.3 - 66.0USA (Alabama) P. sp. (107503)
Early/Lower Santonian85.8 - 83.5USA (Arkansas) P. sp. (107639)
Early/Lower Santonian - Middle Santonian85.8 - 83.5USA (New Mexico) P. sp. (52037)
Late/Upper Santonian85.8 - 83.5USA (Kansas) P. tympaniticus (118338)
Late/Upper Santonian85.8 - 83.5France (Aude) P. sp. (233200)
Late/Upper Santonian - Early/Lower Campanian85.8 - 70.6USA (Mississippi) P. tympaniticus (98972)
Late/Upper Santonian - Early/Lower Campanian85.8 - 70.6USA (Alabama) P. sp. (81972)
Late/Upper Santonian - Middle Campanian85.8 - 70.6USA (Georgia) P. sp. (35289)
Campanian83.6 - 72.1USA (Kansas) P. sp. (107677)
Campanian83.6 - 72.1Canada (Manitoba) P. sp. (36746 36749)
Campanian83.6 - 72.1USA (South Dakota) P. ictericus (107674 109761) P. sp. (107642 107678 107679)
Campanian83.6 - 72.1USA (Wyoming) P. brachycephalus (105717) P. ictericus (107672 107675)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6Sweden P. somenensis (102883)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (North Carolina) P. sp. (106277)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6Canada (Northwest Territories) P. ictericus (106328) P. sp. (106437)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6Sweden (Skåne) P. sp. (74334)
Early/Lower Campanian - Middle Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (South Dakota) P. sp. (107676)
Early/Lower Campanian - Middle Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (North Carolina) P. sp. (57918)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6Germany (Niedersachsen) P. sp. (31993)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6Russian Federation (Volgograd) P. sp. (59385)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (Wyoming) P. sp. (107641)
Maastrichtian72.1 - 66.0USA (South Dakota) P. sp. (99710)
Maastrichtian72.1 - 66.0Niger (Tahoua) P. sp. (104945)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Spain (Burgos) P. ictericus (176782)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Jordan P. sp. (170239)