Leptocleididae


Leptocleididae is a family of small-sized plesiosaurs that lived during the Early Cretaceous period. Leptocleidus and Umoonasaurus had round bodies and triangle-shaped heads. Hilary F. Ketchum and Roger B. J. Benson, transferred Brancasaurus, Kaiwhekea, Nichollssaura and Thililua to this family. However, Ketchum and Benson reassigned Kaiwhekea and Thililua to their original positions, as an elasmosaurid and a polycotylid, respectively.

Phylogeny

Cladogram based on Ketchum and Benson :