'Very odd' 40-foot-long marine reptile stalked prehistoric Canada
‘Very odd’ 40-foot-long marine reptile stalked prehistoric Canada
Traskasaura sandrae lived during the Cretaceous Period and had an impressive set of teeth.
By Laura Baisas
Published May 25, 2025 8:00 AM EDT
https://dg2ca59yqdjpr4.archive.is/Ql0eb/27802449ef551c3079e7a6fe9112a56142a00323.webp
Two individuals of Traskasaura sandrae hunt the ammonite Pachydiscus in the northern Pacific during the Late Cretaceous. Traskasaura sandrae, named in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, was declared the Provincial Fossil of British Columbia in 2023. CREDIT: Robert O. Clark.
The infamous Tyrannosaurus rex is not the only dinosaur species that North America is famous for. The continent can now boast about a “very odd” genus of elasmosaur. Elasmosaurs themselves were some of the some of the largest plesiosaurs–or a group of extinct marine reptiles–to have ever lived. Now, this new species of these long-necked plesiosaurs that looked like mythological sea monsters is officially named in a recent study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
Say hello to Traskasaura sandrae. Measuring almost 40 feet long, fossil evidence shows that this reptile had very heavy, sharp, and robust teeth ideal for crushing its prey. Traskasaura also appears to have a strange mix of primitive and more evolved traits unlike other elasmosaur paleontologists have studied. This unique suite of adaptations allowed this type of pleiosaur to hunt its prey from above. It could have been the first plesiosaurs to do so.
The 36 well-preserved cervical vertebrae and 50 neck bones indicate that Traskasaura had a very long neck. While not much is known about its behavior, the “fascinating and long list of autapomorphic characters” of the bones indicate it could have been a strong downward swimmer.
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https://archive.is/Ql0eb#selection-1737.0-1749.1