Polycotylids Temporal range: Early - Late Cretaceous,
Martinectes in the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Superorder:	†Sauropterygia
Order:	†Plesiosauria
Clade:	†Leptocleidia
Family:	†Polycotylidae Williston, 1909
Genera
†Edgarosaurus †Georgiasaurus †Manemergus †Piratosaurus? †Rarosaurus †Occultonectia[1] †Plesiopleurodon †Sulcusuchus †Palmulasaurinae †Pahasapasaurus †Palmulasaurus †Polycotylinae †Eopolycotylus †Mauriciosaurus †Polycotylus †Scalamagnus †Serpentisuchops †Thililua? †Trinacromerum †Dolichorhynchia[2] †Dolichorhynchops †Martinectes †Unktaheela

Polycotylidae is a family of plesiosaurs from the Cretaceous, a sister group to Leptocleididae. Polycotylids first appeared during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous, before becoming abundant and widespread during the early Late Cretaceous. Several species survived into the final stage of the Cretaceous, the Maastrichtian.^[3]

With their short necks and large elongated heads, they resemble the pliosaurs, but closer phylogenetic studies indicate that they share many common features with the Leptocleididae and Elasmosauridae. They have been found worldwide, with specimens reported from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Morocco, the US, Canada, Eastern Europe, and South America.^[4]

Phylogeny

Trinacromerum bentonianum from the Late Cretaceous of Kansas

Cladogram after Albright, Gillette and Titus (2007).^[5]

Cladogram after Ketchum and Benson (2010).^[7]

Below is a cladogram of polycotylid relationships from Ketchum & Benson, 2011.^[8]

References

External links

• Palæos: The Vertebrates, Lepidosauromorpha: Cryptocleidoidea: Tricleidia