Madzia, D.; Cau, A.
taxonomy · topology
Table 1 gives explicit phylogenetic definitions for Mosasauroidea and Mosasauridae; sensitivity analyses retain uncertainty around basal branching.
Mosasauroidea and Mosasauridae are not interchangeable: the former is a broader branch-defined mosasauroid clade, whereas the latter is a node-defined family; Dallasaurus anatomy shows that family placement and fully paddle-like limb specialization are separate character questions.
claim:event:mosasauroid-clade-boundariesMosasauroidea is retained as the broader branch-defined mosasauroid navigation clade and is not interchangeable with node-defined Mosasauridae; the nomenclatural analysis does not provide a global range, ancestor chain or first appearance.
claim:taxon:mosasauroideaDallasaurus preserves cranial, axial and plesiopedal limb anatomy in two incomplete skeletons, while the cited nomenclatural analysis distinguishes the broader Mosasauroidea branch from node-defined Mosasauridae; limb grade is not treated as the clade definition.
claim:taxon:mosasauroidea:morphology