US EditionScientists ID New Prehistoric Sea Creature: Nearly 40 Feet Long with 'Crushing' Teeth
- Scientists identified a new prehistoric marine reptile genus named Traskasaura from fossils found on Vancouver Island in 1988.
- The discovery followed years of uncertainty as researchers debated if these fossils belonged to a new species within plesiosaurs or an existing one.
- Traskasaura lived about 85 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, grew up to 39 feet long, and displayed unique traits combining primitive and advanced features.
- Lead researcher F. Robin O'Keefe stated the animal had "crushing" teeth suited for prey like ammonite shells and called the shoulder anatomy unlike any other plesiosaur.
- This classification clarifies a long-standing mystery and suggests Traskasaura was a distinct elasmosaur adapted for downward hunting in ancient oceans.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Marshall University researchers ID new prehistoric sea creature: Nearly 40 feet long with 'crushing' teeth
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Researchers from Marshall University in West Virginia have helped make a breakthrough in the world of paleontology. While working with an international investigative team from Chile and Canada, the researchers identified a group of fossils found near British Columbia's Vancouver Island that belong to a new genus of a type of sea creature called plesiosaurs. The genus is a biological classification that is a slightly br…
West Virginia scientists ID new prehistoric sea creature: Nearly 40 feet long with 'crushing' teeth
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Researchers from Marshall University in West Virginia have helped make a breakthrough in the world of paleontology. While working with an international investigative team from Chile and Canada, the researchers identified a group of fossils found near British Columbia's Vancouver Island that belong to a new genus of a type of sea creature called plesiosaurs. The genus is a biological classification that is a slightly br…
Scientists ID new prehistoric sea creature: Nearly 40 feet long with 'crushing' teeth
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Researchers from Marshall University in West Virginia have helped make a breakthrough in the world of paleontology. While working with an international investigative team from Chile and Canada, the researchers identified a group of fossils found near British Columbia's Vancouver Island that belong to a new genus of a type of sea creature called plesiosaurs. The genus is a biological classification that is a slightly br…
Newly discovered prehistoric sea creature identified by Marshall University researchers
HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) - Researchers from Marshall University have helped make a breakthrough in the world of paleontology. While working with an international investigative team from Chile and Canada, the researchers identified a group of fossils that belong to a new genus of a type of sea creature called plesiosaurs. The genus is a biological classification that is a slightly broader category of creatures than a species. Marshall says the new g…
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