Edgarosaurus

Ed-gar-o-sore-us.
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Liam Carter

Paleoanthropologist

Liam Carter explores the roots of humanity by studying early human fossils and artifacts. His ground-breaking work has provided a deeper understanding of our ancestors' lifestyles and social structures.

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Name

Edgarosaurus ‭(‬Edgar lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ed-gar-o-sore-us.

Named By

Druckenmiller‭ ‬-‭ ‬2002.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Plesiosauroidea,‭ ‬Polycotylidae.

Diet

Piscivore/Carnivore.

Species

E.‭ ‬muddi‭

Size

Estimated around‭ ‬3.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

USA‭ ‬-‭ ‬Montana‭ ‬-‭ ‬Thermopolis Shale.

Time Period

Albian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Remains of a single individual including the skull,‭ ‬vertebrae and most of a front leg.

In Depth

       Edgarosaurus seems to have been one of the first polycoylid plesiosaurs to swim in the late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway,‭ ‬a shallow sea that submerged much of central North American during the Cretaceous.‭ ‬Like its relatives,‭ ‬Edgarosaurus had a typical plesiosaur body but a short neck an elongated jaws,‭ ‬features reminiscent of the pliosaurs.‭ ‬As such Edgarosaurus probably relied upon to speed and manoeuvrability to actively chase down fish where the long jaws would compensate for the lack of a long neck.

Further Reading

– Osteology of a new plesiosaur from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Thermopolis Shale of Montana. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22(1):29-42. – P. S. Druckenmiller – 2002.

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