In Depth
Eopolycotylus is another example of one of the short necked/long jawed polycotylid plesiosaurs of the Cretaceous era. The genus name Eopolycotylus means ‘Dawn Polycotylus’ and is a reference to the earlier appearance of Eopolycotylus in the fossil record to Polycotylus, the type genus of the Polycotylidae. The type species name honours David O. Rankin who discovered the type specimen in 2001.
The long jaws and needle-like teeth of Eopolycotylus indicate that it was a hunter of fish and possibly other small marine organisms. Eopolycotylus itself however may have been prey to large Cretaceous era pliosaurs such as Brachauchenius which is also known from the Tropic Shale Formation. Another polycotylid plesiosaur from this formation that was also named in the same year as Eopolycotylus is Palmulasaurus.
Further Reading
– Plesiosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) Tropic Shale of southern Utah, part 2: Polycotylidae. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(1):41-58. – L. B. Albright, D. D. Gillette & A. L. Titus – 2007.
