Styxosaurus
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Notable for its extended neck, Styxosaurus is a carnivorous plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous period that can grow up to 11m in length and feeds on fish, squid and other marine life. This genus has very sharp teeth and a powerful jaw, making it one of the most efficient predators of its time.
Discovery
The first Styxosaurus was discovered by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1890, near the Hell Creek Formation in Kansas, USA. The remains were initially ascribed to Cimoliasaurus, another plesiosaur of that era – it wasn’t until 1943 that it was formally named Styxosaurus. The genus takes its name from Greek mythology, its appearance comparable to the terrifying creatures said to live within the River Styx.
Palaeoecology
Styxosaurus lived in the coastal waters of North America around 70-85 million years ago, and used its streamlined body and large fins to swim at speed in search of prey. It fed by swallowing shoals of fish whole and lived alongside prehistoric sharks as well as mosasaurs such as Tylosaurus.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Elasmosauridae
- Genus
- Styxosaurus
- height
- 1.8M
- length
- 11M
- weight
- 3.1T
- Diet
- Shoal
- Egg batch size
- 1 - 3
