Georgiasaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Georgiasaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 85 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 85 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Plesiosaurs & kin |
|---|---|
| Lived | 85.7–83.6 million years ago (Santonian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Polycotylidae |
| Named by | Ochev 1977 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Russia |
| Rock formations | txn:100152 |
About Georgiasaurus
Georgiasaurus ("Georgy's lizard"; after V. A. Otschev's father, Georgy Otschev, a geodesist who died shortly before Otschev published the description in 1976) is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Russia. Otschev (or Ochev) originally named the specimen Georgia, but that name was preoccupied by the colubrid snake Georgia Baird & Girard, 1853. Originally a complete skeleton, the specimen, holotype POKM 11658 consisting of seven neck vertebrae, vertebral impressions, both scapulae and two limbs, was damaged in preparation of the quarry stone. It was found near the village of Zatolokino.
It was a fairly large polycotylid, measuring 4–5 m (13–16 ft) long. Gregory S. Paul estimated its weight at 450 kg (990 lb).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Georgiasaurus (revision 1283155996), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q5548152.
