Pelagosaurus

Pelagosaurus (meaning "lizard of the open sea") is an extinct genus of thalattosuchian crocodyliform that lived during the Toarcian stage of the Lower Jurassic, around 183 Ma to 176 Ma (million years ago), in shallow epicontinental seas that covered much of what is now Western Europe. The systematic taxonomy of Pelagosaurus has been fiercely disputed over the years, and was assigned to Thalattosuchia after its systematics within Teleosauridae were disputed. Pelagosaurus measured 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) long.

Pelagosaurus
Temporal range: Toarcian
Cast of Pelagosaurus typus (skeleton and scutes) at the Field Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Suborder: Thalattosuchia
Genus: Pelagosaurus
Bronn, 1841
Species:
P. typus
Binomial name
Pelagosaurus typus
Bronn, 1841
Synonyms
  • Mosellaesaurus Monard, 1846
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