Trinacromerum

Try-nah-kro-me-rum.
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Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

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Name

Trinacromerum ‭(‬Three tipped femur‭)‬.

Phonetic

Try-nah-kro-me-rum.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ Plesiosauria. Polycotylidae.

Diet

Piscivore/Carnivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬bentonianum‭

Size

3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Canada‭ ‬-‭ ‬Manitoba.‭ ‬USA‭ ‬-‭ ‬Colorado,‭ ‬Kansas,‭ ‬Texas and Utah.

Time Period

Cenomanian to Turonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Multiple individuals.

In Depth

       Although not as well-known as its more famous relative Dolichorhynchops,‭ ‬Trinacromerum remains one of the best represented polycotylid plesiosaurs in the fossil record.‭ ‬Like its relatives,‭ ‬Trinacromerum was a plesiosaur but one with‭ ‬a much shorter neck and elongated jaws filled with thin needle like teeth.‭ ‬Living in the Western Interior Seaway of the late Cretaceous,‭ ‬Trinacromerum was a predator of fish that used speed and manoeuvrability to capture its prey.‭ ‬In turn Trinacromerum would have likely been targeted by other predators with possible candidates including large pliosaurs such as Brachauchenius.

Further Reading

– A plesiosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Manitoba. – Journal of Paleontology 9(5):385-389. – L. S. Russel – 1935.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT