A new genus of ocean monster has just been officially place , and it ’s a palaeontological weirdo . The new species has been namedTraskasaura sandrae , and is describe as “ very peculiar ” owe to a confusing combination of seemingly primitive and comparatively modernistic traits . One thing ’s clean , though : this thing was a cause of death .
Its impressive name is in honour of Heather and Michael Trask , who were the first to travail up a specimen when they discovered the type specimen along the banks of the Puntledge River in 1988 . It also take up the Greek Christian Bible saûros , for lizard , andsandraeis in loving memory of Sandra Lee O’Keefe ( née Markey ) .
When they were first notice , thefossilsbecame famous . notable enough , in fact , to become the official fossil emblem of British Columbia , but as for what they were ? That took some time to narrow down .
Museum display ofTraskasaurain The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre.Image credit: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre
At 12 time ( 39 feet ) long , it had a longsighted neck and sharp , heavy teeth that would ’ve been perfect for chomping , but there are a few ancient sea fiend that fit the brief . The available dodo also seemed to have a confusing combination of primitive and derive feature .
Since the Trasks rick up the firstTraskasauraholotype fossil , we ’ve establish a few more specimens . The idea of a fresh kind of sea monster was floated in the initial 2002 verbal description of the mystery fossils , but it took a young “ excellently preserved ” partial skeleton to tip the weighing machine in favor of a new genus and species ofelasmosaur – ancient maritime reptile within Plesiosauria .
“ Plesiosaur fossils have been known for decades in British Columbia , ” say leash generator Professor F Robin O’Keefe from Marshall University , West Virginia , in astatement . “ However , the identity of the animal that left the fogey has remained a enigma , even as it were declare BC ’s provincial dodo in 2023 . Our unexampled enquiry published today last resolve this enigma . ”
“ The scientific confusion occupy this taxonomic group is understandable . It has a very queer mix of primitive and derived trait . The articulatio humeri , in special , is unlike any other plesiosaur I have ever seen , and I have seen a few . ”
Very odd though it may be , its unique rooms of adaptations suggests it was very good at swim downwards , painting a picture of a fierce predatory animal that hunted by diving on target from above . Its victims were most likely the abundantammonitesfound here , whose shells would ’ve been no match forTraskasaura ’s racy teeth . A foreign animate being that – admittedly – look a fiddling like the sandworm inBeetlejuice , but one that ’s also impressive .
“ With the appointment ofTraskasaura sandrae , the Pacific Northwest finally has [ a ] Mesozoic reptile to call its own , ” added O’Keefe . “ suitably , a part get laid for its rich marine life today was host to unknown and wonderful nautical reptiles in the Age of Dinosaurs . ”
“ The fogey record is full of surprisal . It is always gratifying to discover something unexpected . When I first watch the fossil and actualize they represented a fresh taxonomic group , I thought it might be related to other plesiosaurs from the Antarctic . My Chilean colleague Rodrigo Otero thought other than , and he was right;Traskasaurais a strange , convergently evolved , gripping beast . ”
The study is publish in theJournal of Systematic Palaeontology .
