183-Million-Year-Old Plesiosaur Fossil Reveals Unique Skin Features

Soft tissue from a 183 million-year-old Jurassic plesiosaur analyzed

Researchers have analyzed the soft tissue from a fossilized plesiosaur for the first time. The results show that the long-necked marine reptile had both smooth and scaly skin. This was likely so it could both swim rapidly and move along rough seabeds.

Rare dinosaur era-plesiosaur fossil sheds light on ancient reptiles

The examination indicates that some plesiosaurs possessed both smooth skin on their bodies and small scales on their flippers.

Rare Fossil of 183-Million-Year-Old 'Sea Monster' Reveals Both Smooth and Scaly Skin

For the first time, scientists have completed an in-depth analysis of fossilized soft tissues from a plesiosaur

Soft tissue of a plesiosaur reveals it had scales similar to those of sea turtles

A small team of archaeologists, geologists, paleontologists and climate scientists has found that at least one type of plesiosaur had scales on its flippers similar to modern sea turtle species. For their study, published in the journal Current Biology, the group examined a unique specimen that had been locked away in a vault for the past 75 years.

Paleontologists solve decades’ old mystery about plesiosaur skin texture

Hint: Think ‘turtle.’

Amazing plesiosaur fossil preserves its skin and scales

A remarkable plesiosaur fossil reveals that the extinct reptiles had scales like modern sea turtles, unlike the ichthyosaurs that lived during the same period