This list of mosasaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the family Mosasauridae or the parent clade Mosasauroidea, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names, and genera that are no longer considered mosasauroid. Non-mosasaurid mosasauroids shall be noted as such. The list currently includes 92 genera, out of which 58 are considered valid (47 mosasaurids and 10 other mosasauroids).
Scope and terminology There is no official, canonical list of mosasaur genera but one of the most thorough attempts can be found on the "Pythonomorpha" section of Mikko Haaramo's Phylogeny Archive.
Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include: Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen. Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen. In this case, these nomina nuda will be deleted from this list in favor of the published name. Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list. Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features.
Mosasaur genera GenusAuthor(s)YearStatusAgeLocationNotesImages Acteosaurus Meyer 1860 Valid Late Cretaceous Its vertebral column resembles that of extant varanid lizards Adriosaurus Seeley 1881 Valid Late Cretaceous The A. skrbinensis specimen preserves a phosphatic matter in its stomach area, likely remains of fish, which suggests it may have been piscivorous Aigialosaurus Kramberger 1892 Valid Late Cretaceous Has been suggested to be the oldest known member of the lineage that led to the larger mosasaurids Amphekepubis Mehl 1930 Dubious Late Cretaceous Possibly a junior synonym of Mosasaurus Amphorosteus Gibbs 1851 Dubious Late Cretaceous Only known from two, heavily weathered vertebrae Ancylocentrum Schmidt 1927 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Prognathodon Angolasaurus Antunes 1964 Valid Late Cretaceous ? ? ? Mostly similar to the related Platecarpus, but with a somewhat longer skull Aphanizocnemus Dal Sasso & Pinna 1997 Valid Late Cretaceous Although commonly regarded as a dolichosaurid, a few analyses suggest it may be outside of that group Baptosaurus Marsh 1870 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Halisaurus Baseodon Leidy 1865 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Mosasaurus Batrachiosaurus Harlan 1839 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Mosasaurus Bentiabasaurus Polcyn, Schulp & Gonçalves 2023 Valid Late Cretaceous Discovered as a stomach content of an adult Prognathodon Brachysaurana Strand 1926 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Prognathodon Brachysaurus Williston 1897 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied by a junior synonym of iguanian lizard genus Stenocercus;Stenocercus at Herpbreeder.com . Retrieved 12-03-2007. referred to replacement names Brachysaurana and Ancylocentrum, of which the latter has priority as such, although both names are synonyms of Prognathodon Carinodens Thurmond 1969 Valid Late Cretaceous Closely related to Globidens, but can be distinguished by its compressed teeth Carsosaurus Kornhuber 1893 Valid Late Cretaceous Preserves skin impressions and sternal cartilage Clidastes Cope 1868 Valid Late Cretaceous One of the earliest known hydropedal mosasaurs Compressidens Dollo 1924 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied by a tusk shell; later renamed Carinodens Coniasaurus Owen 1850 Valid Late Cretaceous Only known from incomplete remains, but they are enough to tell that it had an elongated skull containing specialized dentition Dallasaurus Polcyn & Bell 2005 Valid Late Cretaceous Has been said to be a "missing link" uniting fully aquatic mosasaur taxa and their terrestrial ancestors Dolichosaurus Owen 1894 Valid Late Cretaceous Possessed an exceptionally long neck Dollosaurus Yakovlev 1905 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Prognathodon Drepanodon Leidy 1856 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Mosasaurus Ectenosaurus Russell 1967 Valid Late Cretaceous One of the few plioplatecarpines that was not exclusive to nearshore marine environments Edestosaurus Marsh 1871 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Clidastes Eidolosaurus Nopcsa 1923 Valid Late Cretaceous One of the oldest known mosasauroids Elliptonodon Emmons 1858 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of Tylosaurus Eonatator Bardet et al. 2005 Valid Late Cretaceous The type species was originally referred to Clidastes and Halisaurus Eremiasaurus LeBlanc et al. 2012 Valid Late Cretaceous Characterised by its robust skull with pronounced heterodont dentition Garamaudo Bardet et al. 2026 Valid Late Cretaceous Its name honors a serpentine aquatic creature from Provençal folklore Gavialimimus Strong et al. 2020 Valid Late Cretaceous ? Unusually, its snout was elongated, convergent with the extant gharial, hence its genus name Globidens Gilmore 1912 Valid Late Cretaceous Known for its rounded teeth, an adaptation to crush shelled prey such as molluscs Gnathomortis Lively 2020 Valid Late Cretaceous Previously identified as a species of Prognathodon, but it has been found to be different enough from that taxon to receive its own genus Goronyosaurus Azzaroli et al. 1972 Valid Late Cretaceous Possessed straight teeth with rounded apices more well suited for smashing food Haasiasaurus Polcyn et al. 2003 Valid Late Cretaceous Possibly chimeric as all referred remains were not found in association Hainosaurus Dollo 1885 Valid? Late Cretaceous ? Possible junior synonym of Tylosaurus Halisaurus Marsh 1869 Valid Late Cretaceous ? ? May have been a poor swimmer due to the lack of hyperphalangy as seen in more derived genera Harranasaurus Kaddumi 2009 Valid Late Cretaceous Only known from a single mandible Holcodus Gibbs 1851 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Junior synonym of