Hastanectes was a plesiosaur, a type of marine reptile. It was not a dinosaur, though it coexisted with many dinosaurs. Hastanectes lived during the Early Cretaceous and resided in Europe. The first Hastanectes fossil was discovered in 2012.

Quick facts about Hastanectes:

  • Existed from 145 million years ago to Valanginian Age
  • Lived in a marine environment
  • Was a carnivore
  • Reproduced by live birth
  • 6 different specimens have been found by paleontologists

All the Hastanectes illustrations below were collected from the internet. Enjoy and explore:

Hastanectes was described by the following scientific paper(s):
  • R. Lydekker. 1889. Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia, Part II. Containing the orders Ichthyopterygia and Sauropterygia
  • R. Owen. 1872. Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden Formation. Supplement no. IV. Dinosauria (Iguanodon). 25:1-15
  • S. Sachs. 1997. Erster Nachweis eines gepanzerten Dinosauriers (Reptilia, Ornithischia, Thyreophora) aus der Unterkreide (Berrias) von Gronau in Westfalen. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte 1997(1):56-64