| Pliosaurs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Physical description | |
| Lifespan | 65 years |
| Average Size | 4-13 m |
| Average weight | 500 kg-30 t |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Conservational Status | |
| Status | Extinct |
| IUCN status | Fossil |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Plesiosauria |
| Family | Pliosauroidea |
| Genus | 19 |
Pliosaurs were a group of predatory marine reptiles in the superfamily Pliosauroidea. Classified as plesiosaurs, pliosaurs are distinguished from their plesiosauroid relatives by their short necks and, in many cases, massive skulls. Pliosaurs were the top predators of the oceans from the upper Jurassic to the early upper Cretaceous periods; their role would later be mostly taken by the mosasaurs.