| Macroplata Temporal range: Early Jurassic,
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| Restoration of Macroplata tenuiceps | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Family: | †Rhomaleosauridae |
| Genus: | †Macroplata Swinton, 1930 |
| Type species | |
| †Macroplata tenuiceps Swinton, 1930
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Macroplata (meaning "big plate") is an extinct genus of Early Jurassic rhomaleosaurid plesiosaur which grew up to 4.65 metres (15.3 ft) in length. Like other plesiosaurs, Macroplata probably lived on a diet of fish, using its sharp needle-like teeth to catch prey. Its shoulder bones were fairly large, indicating a powerful forward stroke for fast swimming. Macroplata also had a relatively long neck, twice the length of the skull, in contrast to pliosaurs. It is known from a nearly complete skeleton NHMUK PV R5488 (formerly BMNH R 5488) from the Blue Lias Formation (Hettangian) of Harbury, Warwickshire, UK.[1]
A different species, Macroplata longirostris (previously called Plesiosaurus longirostris), which lived somewhat later, during the Toarcian stage, was also included in the genus; however, in 2011, Benson et al. reclassified it as a pliosaurid in the genus Hauffiosaurus, H. longirostris.[2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Ketchum2010was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ R. B. J. Benson, H. F. Ketchum, L. F. Noe and M. Gomez-Perez. 2011. "New information on Hauffiosaurus (Reptilia, Plesiosauria) based on a new species from the Alum Shale Member (Lower Toarcian: Lower Jurassic) of Yorkshire, UK". Palaeontology 54(3):547-571.