pliosauroids

Pliosaurs, commonly referred to as pliosaurs, are a clade of large marine reptiles within the order Plesiosauria. They are distinguished by their relatively short necks, large heads, and proportionally robust bodies with broad, paddle-like limbs. Their skulls show strong jaw musculature and usually conical teeth, adapted for grasping sizable prey. In contrast to their long-necked relatives, pliosaurs relied on bite force and speed to catch prey in open-water habitats.

Fossils indicate pliosauroids lived from roughly the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, about 170 to 100 million years ago. They were globally distributed, with remains found in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, indicating a wide marine range.

Ecology: Pliosaurs were among the apex predators of their seas, preying on large fish, cephalopods, other marine reptiles, and possibly smaller plesiosaurs. The largest species could achieve lengths of several meters, with popular estimates often citing up to around 10 meters or more for some individuals, though precise sizes vary by species and are debated.

Taxonomy: Pliosaurs belong to the Pliosauroidea within Plesiosauria, principally the family Pliosauridae. Notable members include Liopleurodon, Kronosaurus, and Pliosaurus. The group is known from abundant marine reptile fossils of the Jurassic and some Early Cretaceous formations.