Platecarpus fossil map
Where fossils of Platecarpus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 75 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 75 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 | Mosasaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 100.5–66 million years ago (Cenomanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Mosasauridae |
| Named by | Cope 1869 |
| Fossil records | 60 occurrences at 57 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada, Sweden, Brazil, Australia, Russian Federation, Egypt, Jordan, Niger, Germany … |
| Rock formations | Pierre Shale, Niobrara, txn:38049, Molecap Greensand, Blufftown, Point Lookout |
About Platecarpus
Platecarpus ("oar wrist") is an extinct genus of aquatic lizards belonging to the mosasaur family, living around 84–81 million years ago during the middle Santonian to early Campanian, of the Late Cretaceous period. Fossils have been found in the United States and possibly in Belgium, Australia, and Africa. A well-preserved specimen of Platecarpus shows that it fed on moderate-sized fish, and it has been hypothesized to have fed on squid and ammonites as well. Like other mosasaurs, it was initially thought to have swum in an eel-like fashion, although another study suggests that it swam more like modern sharks. An exceptionally well-preserved specimen of Platecarpus, known as LACM 128319, shows skin impressions, pigments around the nostrils, bronchial tubes, and the presence of a high-profile tail fluke, showing that it and other mosasaurs did not necessarily have an eel-like swimming method, but were more powerful, fast swimmers. It is held in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Isotopic analysis on teeth specimens has suggested that this genus and Clidastes may have entered freshwater occasionally, just like modern sea snakes.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Platecarpus (revision 1379552232), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
