Attenborosaurus
AT-ten-bo-ro-SAWR-us
Named after the esteemed British natural historian David Attenborough, Attenborosaurus is a genus of pliosaurid that grows up to 6.4m in length. Notable for its long neck and paddle-like limbs, this piscivorous marine reptile can move through the water at high speeds, catching prey with its long, sharp teeth.
Discovery
Attenborosaurus’ discovery is an interesting story; the first fossils were found in the United Kingdom in 1880 but were destroyed during the Second World War. Luckily, detailed plaster casts were made, allowing researchers to examine everything but the skin. Although the discovery was initially classified as another species of Plesiosaurus, analysis of the plaster casts confirmed that this was an entirely new genus. In 1993, American paleontologist Bob Bakker gave the genus its name, in honor of Attenborough’s life’s work.
Palaeoecology
Attenborosaurus lived approximately 190-200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic period, and roamed the warm waters just off the south coast of the United Kingdom, existing on a diet of fish and other marine life.
Information
- Era
- Early Jurassic
- Family
- Pliosauridae
- Genus
- Attenborosaurus
- Height
- 0.9M
- Length
- 6.4M
- Weight
- 1.1T
- Diet
- Shoal
- Egg batch size
- 3 - 5
