| Thalassiodracon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Name | Thalassiodracon | |||
| Class | Sauropsida | |||
| Superorder | Sauropterygia | |||
| Order | Plesiosauria | |||
| Suborder | Pliosauroidea | |||
| Name Translation | "Sea Dragon" | |||
| Period | Late Triassic | |||
| Length | 1.5-2 meters | |||
Thalassiodracon Is a small species of carnivorous marine reptiles that belong to the order of Plesiosauria and the suborder of Pliosauroidea. They lived throughout the early Triassic Period and were probably the first and the smallest of the pliosaurs. They reached a total body length of about 2 meters. Unlike the later varieties of pliosaur, Thalassiodracon had a relatively long neck. Because of the long neck and its similar appearance, Thalassiodracon was originally placed in the genus of Plesiosaurus. Because the head of the Thalassiodracon was proportionally larger than that of a Plesiosaurus, one-tenth the size of their total body length, the creature was removed from the genus and placed in the suborder of Pliosauroidea with a genus of its own, officially making it a Pliosaur.