Unktaheela fossil map
Where fossils of Unktaheela 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 | Plesiosaurs & kin |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–72.2 million years ago (Campanian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Polycotylidae |
| Named by | Clark et al. 2024 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Sharon Springs |
About Unktaheela
Unktaheela is an extinct genus of polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous Sharon Springs Formation of the United States. The genus contains a single species, U. specta, known from two skulls and partial skeletons. Unktaheela represents the smallest known polycotylid.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Unktaheela (revision 1348848042), 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: Q123990857.
