Thalattosauroidea

Thalattosauroidea
Temporal range: Middle To Late Triassic,
Life restoration of Nectosaurus halinus (right) and Thalattosaurus alexandrae (left)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Thalattosauria
Superfamily: Thalattosauroidea
Merriam, 1904
Subtaxa
Synonyms

Thalattosauroidea is a superfamily of thalattosaurs, a Triassic group of marine reptiles. It was named in 1904 by paleontologist John Campbell Merriam to include the genus Thalattosaurus from California. Thalattosauroids are one of two groups of Thalattosauria, the other being Askeptosauroidea. Thalattosauroids make up the "traditional" thalattosaurs with large downturned snouts, short necks, and long, paddle-like tails.