Hydrotherosaurus
| Hydrotherosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 70-66 Ma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | †Sauropterygia |
| Order: | †Plesiosauria |
| Family: | †Elasmosauridae |
| Genus: | †Hydrotherosaurus Welles, 1943 |
| Species: | †H. alexandrae |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae Welles, 1943 | |
Hydrotherosaurus (meaning "water beast lizard") is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian stage) of Fresno County, California, USA. It measured up to 13 m in length. The species H. alexandrae was named for its discoverer, Annie Montague Alexander by Samuel Paul Welles.
Physiology
Hydrotherosaurus was one of the largest varieties of Elasmosaur. It reached up to thirteen meters in total body length, with a neck that counted for about half of that. Its neck consisted of 60 vertebrae, an exceptionally large number.
When compared to other elasmosaurs, Hydrotherosaurus has one of the greatest percentages of neck proportionality in contrast to total body length. Hydrotherosaurus had a small head that was about 33 centimeters (12 inches) long, a streamlined body, and four large flippers that were specially designed to help the huge animal balance, move, and accelerate itself.
Being one of the larger varieties of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs, most would presume that Hydrotherosaurus was capable of consuming larger types of fish. This may not have been possible. Evidence from fossil specimens show a potential problem for Hydrotherosaurus' ability to catch and hold on to its slippery prey.
See also
Sources
- Welles, S. P. (1943). Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs with a description of the new material from California and Colorado. University of California Memoirs. 13. pp. 125–254.
External links
- Hydrotherosaurus article including visual reconstruction and size guide, www.prehistoric-wildlife.com