Fun Simolestes Facts For Kids

The Simolestes is a genus of Pliosaurs which used to live in the middle to late Jurassic period. The genus Simolestes classification included three distinct species living in seas of present-day Europe.

The three species are the Simolestes keileni, the Simolestes vorax, and the Simolestes indicus. The S. keileni, the S. vorax, and the S. indicus varied slightly in size.

They are all considered to be large-sized Pliosaurs. Similar to other Pliosaurs, these reptiles from the Jurassic age were carnivores. The Pliosaur had a short neck and four large flippers evolved for accelerating.

The Pliosaur also had a large head with very sharp teeth. Fossils of the Pliosaur species Simolestes keileni have been retrieved from the Bajocian of France.

Fossils of the Simolestes vorax species were found from the Oxford clay formation of England which dates back to the Callovian age. Fossils of the third species Simolestes indicus was found in India from the Tithonian age.

The name Simolestes means hearkening thief and this animal has long been extinct now. Despite being so popular after the fossil was discovered, very little is known about the Simolestes genus.

The fossil representation is not very good in the species but scientists have estimated the species to be around 6 m long.

This won't be the same for all the known species though as each fossil had different sizes. The Simolestes were large by Jurassic Pliosaur standards, but there were larger ones from the Cretaceous period known as the ‬Kronosaurus.

We have many species of animals, reptiles, mammals, and dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago but unfortunately, we haven't got the chance to know more about them. They lived in both terrestrial and marine habitats.

Here we have brought you closer to many different species of these ancient creatures of the world. For more relatable content, check out these Plesiopleurodon facts and Kaiwhekea fun facts for kids.

Simolestes Interesting Facts

Was the Simolestes a dinosaur?

Although the species of the genus was known to live in the same time period as most dinosaurs, the Simolestes is mainly considered a reptile. It falls under the extinct group of Pliosaurs and the name Simolestes means hearkening thief.

How do you pronounce 'Simolestes'?

The name Simolestes is pronounced as 'Si-mo-les-teez'.

What type of marine reptile was a Simolestes?

The Simolestes was an extinct genus of Pliosaurs who preferred to live in marine habitats. They probably fed on fish and other smaller members of the same family.

In which geological period did the Simolestes live?

The species was known to live in the middle to late Jurassic period and was found in many different parts of the world.

When did the Simolestes become extinct?

The Simolestes was known to roam the Earth from the middle Jurassic epoch to 145 million years ago. Not much information is known about the species although different regions have different ages.

The species S. vorax fossil found in the Oxford clay formation was known to live in the Callovian age (166-1163.5 million years ago). The Simolestes keileni was known to live in the Callovian and Bajocian age (around 170 million years ago). The S. indicus lived in the Tithonian age (152-145 million years ago).

Where did the Simolestes live?

The Simolestes was known to coexist with many other dinosaur species even when the genus was of reptiles. Fossils were found in many parts of the world and this was the mode of classification of the species.

The type specimen with the name BMNH R. 3319 which is a crushed, almost complete skeleton is considered the fossil of the S. vorax found in the Oxford clay formation of England.

Fossils species Simolestes keileni was found in France and fossils of the S. indicus were found in India. All were of different ages.

What was a Simolestes' habitat?

According to the size and the fossil found of the Jurassic period genus, it probably lived in marine habitats. Marine habitats consisted of fish and other prey which constituted the main diet of the species.

Who did the Simolestes live with?

According to the natural history of these Pliosaurs, there is no information on the company these creatures used to keep. They probably lived in small groups or in pairs to counter predators.

How long did the Simolestes live?

The fossil found of the genus is not enough to know the life span of the species. The Simolestes wildlife age could not be determined as of this moment.

How did they reproduce?

There is no information on the reproduction of this species. They probably gave birth with the help of eggs but the number of eggs is not known. They could have also given live births, but the information is not available.  

Simolestes Fun Facts

What did the Simolestes look like?

The Simolestes skull was short, high, and wide in shape. The skull was probably built this way to absorb force while hunting. Sizes of all the species of the genus were almost similar to each other. All of them had enlarged teeth growing towards the end of the jaws.

Teeth were believed to be pointed up and down. Larger teeth probably protruded out clear of the opposite jaw. The structure of teeth probably helped them to catch fish and other cephalopods easily.

How many bones did the Simolestes have?

The number of bones is not known to date.

How did they communicate?

The Simolestes voice was probably the main mode of communication for the species in the genus. They probably even communicated visually. Some reptiles and dinosaurs even communicated chemically and with postures. Postures were meant either to attract mates or intimidate predators. Size would not have been an issue for larger predators of the genus.

How big was the Simolestes?

The species S. vorax is estimated to have been around 15 ft (4.5 m) in length. The largest specimen found was used to judge the Simolestes vorax size. Some larger specimens of Simolestes keileni found in France were deemed to be around 20 ft (6 m) long.

How fast could a Simolestes move?

The speed is not known of this marine species. It probably could swim at a steady speed, but we don't know for sure.

How much did the Simolestes weigh?

Although the skeleton has been found of the species, the weight was not determined.

What were the male and female names of the species?

According to information available, males and females of the species were not given different names. They were known by the common genus name.

What would you call a baby Simolestes?

The name of the baby of the species is not known yet.

What did they eat?

They were known to be carnivores or piscivores. They probably fed on fish and smaller Pliosaurs. Some even say the species fed on belemnites, soft teuthoids, and ammonites. They probably hunted in deeper waters.

They had salt secreting glands enabling them to drink saltwater and maintain salt balance.

How aggressive were they?

They were probably a little aggressive but no information has been provided to confirm this.

Did you know...

It preferred marine habitats where prey was plentiful.

Who discovered the Simolestes?

The first specimen was discovered in 1909.

The Simolestes keileni was discovered by Godefroit (1994) with the help of a fragmented fossil found in France.

How many specimens of Simolestes were discovered?

According to reports, five specimens have been discovered of the three known species of Simolestes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly prehistoric animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Kimmerosaurus fun facts, or Zarafasaura facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Simolestes coloring pages.

*We've been unable to source an image of a Simolestes and have used a sketch of a herbivorous dinosaur instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Simolestes, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.