The carnivorous plesiosaur Elasmosaurus is easily recognizable thanks to its extended neck, which can grow up to 10m in length – roughly double the length of the rest of its body. Elasmosaurus' streamlined body and paddle-shaped limbs allow it to swim quickly in search of fish and small reptiles to eat, grabbing prey with its long, sharp teeth. Its name translates to 'thin-plate reptile', referring to the plate-like bones in its chest and pelvis.
Discovery
Elasmosaurus was discovered by army doctor Theophilus Hunt Turner and army scout William Comstock in 1867, while studying rock formations near their base at Fort Wallace, Kansas. The amateur pair unearthed three large fossils and passed them on to paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope, who soon confirmed that it was a new genus of plesiosaur.
Paleoecology
Elasmosaurus existed in North America during the Late Cretaceous period, around 80m years ago. It swam the Western Interior Seaway, living alongside other marine reptiles and many species of fish, cephalopods and turtles.
