Fresnosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, | |
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Life restoration | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | † Sauropterygia |
Order: | † Plesiosauria |
Family: | † Elasmosauridae |
Genus: | † Fresnosaurus Welles, 1943 |
Species: | †F. drescheri |
Binomial name | |
†Fresnosaurus drescheri Welles, 1943 | |
Fresnosaurus is an extinct genus of plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian stage) of what is now California. The type species is Fresnosaurus drescheri, first described by Welles in 1943. [1] The generic name Fresnosaurus honors Fresno County, while the specific name honors Arthur Drescher. [2] [1]
Fresnosaurus was probably at least 9 meters (30 feet) in length. Like all elasmosaurid plesiosaurs, it probably ate small bony fish, belemnites, and ammonites. [1] [3]