Known for its powerful paddle-like limbs that allow it to swim through water at speed and a flexible, elongated neck that can move quickly to catch fish and other prey, Plesiosaurus is a piscivorous marine reptile that can grow up to 3.5m in length. The name Plesiosaurus means 'near lizard', and the genus dates back to the Early Jurassic period, around 200m years ago.
Discovery
Plesiosaurus was discovered by William Conybeare and Henry De la Beche in 1821, although the first complete skeleton was unearthed by renowned British paleontologist Mary Anning in 1823, while she was searching for fossils in the Lias Group, Dorset. Anning's find was so unusual that it was initially dismissed as a fake – it was only when similar remains were found in the same location that she was believed.
Paleoecology
This genus lived entirely in water (although it would surface for air) and swam vast stretches of ocean, with fossils found in Europe, Asia, North America and even Australia. Plesiosaurus' diet consisted of fish, molluscs and other marine reptiles, which it grabbed with its strong, sharp teeth.
