SCIENTISTS have finally cracked the mystery behind a “very odd” long-necked sea monster found on the coast of Canada.
The creature, which loosely resembles the infamous Loch Ness monster, measures 12 metres and has large, heavy teeth.
These robust gnashers were ideal for crushing and feasting on ammonites – coiled-shelled cephalopods, according to researchers.
The bizarre elasmosaurus is actually one of North America’s most famous fossils, becoming the official fossil emblem of British Columbia, Canada in 2023.
Three specimens, all roughly 85-million-years old, were found along the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island in 1988.
Except one had a strange mix of primitive and derived traits unlike any other elasmosaurus, according to a new study, published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
The fossils were first described in a 2002 study, when experts were reluctant to create a new genus based solely on one adult elasmosaur fossil.
One fossil had a “fascinating and long list of autapomorphic characters” – suggesting it had strong capabilities for downward swimming, researchers wrote.
This set it apart from other plesiosaur – the umbrella species under which elasmosaurus fall.
However, a new “excellently preserved” partial skeleton enabled this latest international team of scientists to shed new light on the creature, and declare it a new species: the Traskasaura sandrae.
“Plesiosaur fossils have been known for decades in British Columbia,” said lead author Professor F. Robin O’Keefe from Marshall University, in West Virginia, US.
“However, the identity of the animal that left the fossils has remained a mystery, even as it was declared BC’s provincial fossil in 2023. Our new research… finally solves this mystery.
“The scientific confusion concerning this taxon is understandable. It has a very odd mix of primitive and derived traits.
“The shoulder, in particular, is unlike any other plesiosaur I have ever seen, and I have seen a few.”
Researchers named the new type of plesiosaur Traskasaura, in honor of Michael and Heather Trask, who discovered the original specimen in 1988, and the Greek word sauros, meaning lizard.
The species name sandrae was inspired by Sandra Lee O’Keefe (nee Markey) who was “a valiant warrior in the fight against breast cancer.” “In loving memory,” the team of authors write.
“With the naming of Traskasaura sandrae, the Pacific Northwest finally has a Mesozoic reptile to call its own,” Professor O’Keefe, an expert on marine reptiles from the age of dinosaurs, said.
“Fittingly, a region known for its rich marine life today was host to strange and wonderful marine reptiles in the Age of Dinosaurs.”
He added: “The fossil record is full of surprises. It is always gratifying to discover something unexpected.
“When I first saw the fossils and realized they represented a new taxon, I thought it might be related to other plesiosaurs from the Antarctic.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14306244/mystery-85-million-year-old-sea-monster-giant-teeth/
