In order to rectify this, a phylogenetic analysis was undertaken using 120 osteological characters and 46 taxa. Metriorhynchidae was found to be monophyletic, though Pelagosaurus is the sister taxon to Teleosauridae. The genera Teleidosaurus and Metriorhynchus are paraphyletic, with the European brevirostrine forms of Metriorhynchus being attributable to Suchodus, and the South American species to Purranisaurus. Geosaurus is polyphyletic, with the type species nesting with Dakosaurus, as does one species of Cricosaurus, making Dakosaurus a junior synonym of Geosaurus. However, all the other species currently within Geosaurus are monophyletic, with the type species of Enaliosuchus, Cricosaurus, and Neustosaurus nesting within this clade. As Neustosaurus is the oldest name, all species are transferred to that genus, with the exception of Geosaurus gracilis, as it lacks the hindlimb synapomorphies of Neustosaurus, therefore the name Rhacheosaurus is resurrected for this species.
Metriorhynchus, Rhacheosaurus, and Neustosaurus form a monophyletic clade that are characterised by becoming successively more marine adapted. Its sister group is a clade formed by Suchodus, Purranisaurus and Geosaurus, which became successively adapted to high-order carnivory.