Overview

• Researchers designated the specimen as Plesionectes longicollum, establishing a previously unrecognized plesiosauroid genus excavated from the Posidonia Shale in 1978.
• The nearly complete fossil preserves remnants of soft tissues around the neck, tail and hindlimbs, a rarity for Early Jurassic specimens.
• Detailed examination identified at least 43 cervical vertebrae and other skeletal traits that distinguish it from all known plesiosaurs.
• Dating to about 183 million years ago, the specimen represents the oldest documented plesiosaur from the Holzmaden region.
• Cataloged as SMNS 51945 at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, the discovery underscores the value of revisiting legacy museum collections.