Soft tissue from a 183 Million-Year-Old Jurassic Plesiosaur analysed

Описание: Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have analysed 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.

Plesiosaurs lived in the world's oceans for much of the Mesozoic Era (203–66 million years ago). These reptiles, which could grow up to 12 meters long, fed on fish and moved much like sea turtles using four paddle-like flippers. Until now, little has been known about the external anatomy of plesiosaurs. However, in a new study published in the scientific journal Current Biology, a research team led by scientists from Lund University has managed to analyze soft tissue from a 183-million-year-old plesiosaur found near Holzmaden, Germany.

"Fossilized soft tissue, such as skin and internal organs, is exceptionally rare. We used a broad range of techniques to identify smooth skin in the tail region as well as scales along the rear edge of the flippers. This provided us with unparalleled insights into the appearance and biology of these long-extinct reptiles," says Miguel Marx, a PhD student in geology at Lund University and the lead author of the study.

Read more here: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/arti...