Researchers on Thursday announced the discovery of the remains of a short-necked plesiosaur, a prehistoric marine reptile the size of a bus, that they believe is the first complete skeleton ever found.
The 150-million-year-old remains of the 33-foot ocean going predator were found in August on the remote Svalbard Islands of the Arctic, the University of Oslo announced.
Fragments of plesiosaur have been found elsewhere, including in England, Russia, and Argentina, but researcher Joern Harald Hurum said the partially fossilized Svalbard find appeared to be the first whole example.
The 150-million-year-old remains of the 33-foot ocean going predator were found in August on the remote Svalbard Islands of the Arctic, the University of Oslo announced.
Fragments of plesiosaur have been found elsewhere, including in England, Russia, and Argentina, but researcher Joern Harald Hurum said the partially fossilized Svalbard find appeared to be the first whole example.
Professor JOrn Hurum from the National History Museum in Oslo said the voracious plesiosaurs were like the Tyrannosaurus rex of the oceans, "except its head is much bigger. About 2 meters [6.5 feet] long, compared to about 1.6 meters [5.25 feet] for Tyrannosaurus rex."
The university's Natural History Museum said the reptile was "as long as a bus, with teeth larger than cucumbers ... in a head that could swallow an adult human whole.
They had sharp teeth and snapping jaws, which set a deadly trap for small aquatic animals.
Plesiosaurs were thought to have caught their prey by lashing out with their long necks and then snatching at victims with sharp teeth.
They were thought to be hunters of fish, squid and other free-swimming prey; but recent research has also indicated they would feed on bottom-dwelling animals such as clams and snails, too.
Plesiosaurs were thought to have caught their prey by lashing out with their long necks and then snatching at victims with sharp teeth.
They were thought to be hunters of fish, squid and other free-swimming prey; but recent research has also indicated they would feed on bottom-dwelling animals such as clams and snails, too.
Beautiful.....isn´t it?.
