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''Liopleurodon'' (; meaning 'smooth-sided teeth') is a genus of large, carnivorous marine reptile belonging to the Pliosauroidea, a clade of short-necked plesiosaurs. The two species of ''Liopleurodon'' lived during the Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic Period (c. 160 to 155 mya). It was the apex predator of the Middle to Late Jurassic seas that covered Europe. The largest species, ''L. ferox'', is estimated to have grown up to in length.〔 The name "Liopleurodon" (meaning "smooth-sided tooth") derives from Ancient Greek words: ''λεῖος ()'', "smooth"; ''pleurá'', side or rib; and ''odṓn'', tooth. ==Discovery and species== The genus name ''Liopleurodon'' was coined by Henri Émile Sauvage in 1873 on the basis of very poor remains consisting of three 70 millimeter (2¾ inch) teeth. One tooth, found near Boulogne-sur-Mer, France in layers dating from the Callovian, was named ''Liopleurodon ferox'', another from Charly, France was named ''Liopleurodon grossouvrei'', while a third discovered near Caen, France was originally described as ''Poikilopleuron bucklandi'' and ascribed by Sauvage to the species ''Liopleurodon bucklandi''. Sauvage did not ascribe the genus to any particular group of reptiles in his descriptions. ''Liopleurodon'' fossils have been found mainly in England and France, with one younger species known from Russia. Fossil specimens that are contemporary (Callovian) with those from England and France referrable to ''Liopleurodon'' are known from Germany.〔Sachs, S. (1997). "Mesozoische Reptilien aus Nordrhein-Westfalen." Pp. 22-27 in Sachs, S., Rauhut, O.W.M. and Weigert, A. (eds.), ''Terra Nostra. 1. Treffen der deutschsprachigen Paläoherpetologen Düsseldorf''.〕 Currently, there are two recognized species within ''Liopleurodon''. From the Callovian of England and France ''L. ferox'' is well known; while also from the Callovian of England is the rarer ''L. pachydeirus'', described by Seeley as a ''Pliosaurus'' (1869).〔Seeley, H.G. (1869). ''Index to the Fossil remains of Aves, Ornithosauria, and Reptilia, from the Secondary System of Strata arranged in the Woodwardian Museum of the University of Cambridge''.〕 Only ''L. ferox'' is known from more or less complete skeletons. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Liopleurodon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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