Tatenectes fossil map
Where fossils of Tatenectes have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 160 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 160 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 | 161.5–154.8 million years ago (Oxfordian) |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Family | Cryptoclididae |
| Named by | O'Keefe and Wahl 2003 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Sundance |
About Tatenectes
Tatenectes is a genus of cryptoclidid plesiosaur known from the Upper Jurassic of Wyoming, United States. Its remains were recovered from the Redwater Shale Member of the Sundance Formation, and initially described as a new species of Cimoliosaurus by Wilbur Clinton Knight in 1900. It was reassigned to Tricleidus by Maurice G. Mehl in 1912 before being given its own genus by O'Keefe and Wahl in 2003. Tatenectes laramiensis is the type and only species of Tatenectes. While the original specimen was lost, subsequent discoveries have revealed that Tatenectes was a very unusual plesiosaur. Its torso had a flattened, boxy cross-section and its gastralia (belly ribs) exhibit pachyostosis (thickening). The total length of Tatenectes has been estimated at 2–3 meters (6.6–9.8 ft).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Tatenectes (revision 1362448210), 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: Q16832015.
