Microcleidus

Microcleidus
Temporal range: Toarcian
~182–175 Ma
Fossil M. homalospondylus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Microcleididae
Genus: †Microcleidus
Watson, 1909
Type species
Plesiosaurus homalospondylus
(Owen, 1865)
Other species
  • M. macropterus (Seeley, 1865)
  • M. tournemirensis (Sciau et al., 1990)
  • M. melusinae Vincent et al., 2019
Synonyms

M. macropteus

  • Plesiosaurus macropteus Seeley, 1865
  • Eretmosaurus macropterus Benton and Spencer, 1995

M. tournemirensis

  • Plesiosaurus tournemirensis Sciau et al., 1990
  • Occitanosaurus tournemirensis
    Bardet et al., 1999

Microcleidus is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the Plesiosauroidea. The species has 40 neck vertebrae and a short tail of 28 vertebrae. Fossils of the genus have been found in France, the Posidonia Shale in Germany and Luxembourg, and the Alum Shale Formation of England.