With nearly 140 million years in the fossil record, Plesiosaurs were incredibly successful creatures. As air-breathing reptiles, they lived near the surface in the open seas, and were able to spread around the world. Fossilized skeletons of Plesiosaurs have been found in Europe, North America, and Australia. New paleontological evidence suggests that Plesiosaurs may have given birth to live young instead of laying eggs, adding an interesting twist to a very unique family of reptiles.
📸 Plesiosaurs as depicted in The Book of the Great Sea Dragons
MORE ABOUT the Plesiosaur
📸 plesiosaur tooth in matrix
Terrific teeth
These plesiosaur tooth specimens were recovered from Late Cretaceous formations in Morocco. They are still embedded in a surrounding rock matrix, making for a fantastic display piece.
📸 vertebra close-up
vigorous vertebra
These plesiosaur vertebra specimens were recovered from Late Cretaceous formations in Morocco. These incredible fossils once made up the spine of one of these swift ocean predators.
📸 Anning's statue today
mary anning's fossils
The story of marine reptiles such as the Plesiosaur, not to mention our modern understanding of species extinction, would be incomplete without discussing the contribution of Mary Anning (1799-1847). Anning was born to a working-class family in Lyme Regis, a small town on the Dorset coast of southern England. Like many in the area, Anning's family sold fossils recovered from the cliffs, but for Mary, it would become a primary source of revenue, and later a connection to the much wider world of science.
Her most notable finds include the first complete Ichthyosaurus and the first two complete Plesiosaurs (the first of which is also attributed to her brother Joseph). She is also credited with being the first to recognize the importance of coprolites and had extensive knowledge of ammonites.
Despite her firsthand experience and deep knowledge of these subjects, Anning was unable to take part officially in the scientific societies of the day which were only open to men. Her discoveries and observations were instead shared through others, with the one notable exception being her drawing of a complete Plesiosaur. In this instance, the noted French anatomist Georges Cuvier proclaimed the animal a hoax. It would take numerous examinations and debate before Cuvier would reverse his position and admit he had rushed to judgment.
Anning died in 1847 of breast cancer. It would take another 163 years for the Royal Society to recognize her influence in the advancement of science. Today we know the Plesiosaur is no hoax but a fearsome predator of the seas that traveled through the oceans to take up residence across the world.
Check out SHE SOLD SEASHELLS: THE CURIOUS MARY ANNING. RE-IMAGINED
📸A complete plesiosaur, found by anning
Further reading
Emling, Shelley. The fossil hunter: dinosaurs, evolution, and the woman whose discoveries changed the world. St. Martin's Press, 2009.
Briggs, Helen. "The story of 'Eve' the Jurassic sea monster." BBC News. British Broadcasting News, 29 May 2016. Web. 7 March 2018.
Liu, Shiqiu; Adam S. Smith, Yuting Gu, Jie Tan, C. Karen Liu, and Greg Turk. "Computer Simulations Imply Forelimb-Dominated Underwater Flight in Plesiosaurs." PLoS Computational Biology 11.12 (2015):1-18. EBSCOhost. Web. 7 March 2018.
Nicholls, Elizabeth L., and Jack M. Callaway. Ancient Marine Reptiles. San Diego: Academic Press. 1997. EBSCOhost. Web. 7 March 2018.
Knutsen, E.M., P.S. Druckenmiller, and J.H. Hurum. "Two new species of long-necked plesiosaurians (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Upper Jurassic (Middle Volgian) Agardhfjellet Formation of central Spitsbergen." Norwegian Journal of Geology, Vol 92, pp. 187-212. Trondheim 2012, ISSN 029- 196X.
