Fragments of Gnathosaurus jaw were first discovered in 1832 in the Solnhofen limestones of southern Germany but were mistaken for a piece of teleosaurid crocodile jaw, hence the synonym Crocodylus multidens.
# Teleosaurid: The teleosaurid classification of Pelagosaurus, based upon anatomical similarity, was maintained by Eudes-Deslongchamps, Westphal and Duffin.