Borealonectes

Bor-e-al-nek-teez.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Borealonectes ‭(‬Boreal swimmer‭)‬.

Phonetic

Bor-e-al-nek-teez.

Named By

Tamaki Sato‭ & ‬Xiao-Chun Wu‭ ‬-‭ ‬2008.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Pliosauroidea,‭ ‬Rhomaleosauridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬russelli‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Canada,‭ ‬Melville Island‭ ‬-‭ ‬Hiccles Cove Formation.

Time Period

Callovian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Skull,‭ ‬cervical‭ (‬neck‭) ‬vertebrae and right forelimb.

In Depth

       Borealonectes is a genus of rhomaleosaurid pliosaur‭ ‬,‭ ‬a type of pliosaur that had a smaller head and longer neck than other larger pliosaurs such as Kronosaurus and Simolestes.‭ ‬The holotype fossils of‭ ‬Borealonectes were actually found within the Canadian Arctic,‭ ‬hence the name of the genus.‭ ‬Rhomaelosaurid pliosaurs like Borealonectes could be taken as in‭ ‬between the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs‭ (‬though they are usually classed with pliosaurs‭)‬,‭ ‬and may have had a greater tendency to tackle smaller prey than their larger pliosaurian relatives that were hyper carnivores of other large marine reptiles.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new Jurassic pliosaur from Melville Island,‭ ‬Canadian Arctic Archipelago.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Canadian Journal of Earth Science‭ ‬45‭ (‬3‭)‬:‭ ‬303‭–‬320.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Tamaki Sato‭ & ‬Xiao-Chun Wu‭ ‬-‭ ‬2008.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT