Kingdom Metazoa
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Subclass Diapsida
Order Plesiosauria
- Elasmosaurid, indet.
Diet:
- Fish
- Unshelled Cephalopds?
Habitat:
- Marine
Material:
- Partial Skull & Skeletons
- Articulated Tail Vertebrae
- Isolated Vertebrae
Among the Plesiosauria, the proportions of the trunk and limbs remains relatively constant. On the other hand, the proportions of skull and neck vary greatly, and serve as the most obvious feature which further divides the order into its two constituent groups: the long-necked and short-skulled plesiosaurs (including the elasmosaurs), and the short-necked and long-skulled pliosaurs. The Elasmosauridae is further characterized by the specialized nature of their vertebrae, girdles, and limbs, and by the excessive length of their necks, which may include between 32 and 76 vertebrae. The Courtenay (or Puntledge) Elasmosaur is currently the showpiece specimen of the Courtenay & District Museum. The fossil was discovered along the banks of the Puntledge River in November 1988, and since then a few other specimens have been recovered from other Upper Cretaceous sites, most notably from exposures along the Trent and Englishman Rivers.
Images of the material will be added to this space when available.