Abyssosaurus
Abyssosaurus was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that swam in the seas during the time of dinosaurs. It had a short, deep skull and hind fins that were bigger than its front fins. It probably lived in deep water, hunting soft-bodied prey.1
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Fun facts
Abyssosaurus is the youngest known Cretaceous representative of the Cryptoclididae family.1
Its skeleton shows features of an immature adult, a condition called paedomorphism, with a short and deep skull.1
Its hind fins were larger than its front fins, which may have helped it move in deep water.1
The first fossil found was a postcranial skeleton, but a partial skull was discovered later near the pectoral girdle and neck vertebrae.1
Scientists think it lived in deep-sea environments, based on its body shape and adaptations.1
Abyssosaurus lived about 132 to 125 million years ago, during the Hauterivian stage of the Early Cretaceous.2
Most asked questions about Abyssosaurus
?How big was Abyssosaurus?
Abyssosaurus was about 6.7 to 7 metres (22 to 23 feet) long, with about half of that being its neck. It weighed around 1.24 metric tons (1.37 short tons).4
?When did Abyssosaurus live?
Abyssosaurus lived during the Early Cretaceous, about 132 to 125 million years ago, in the Hauterivian stage.45
?What did Abyssosaurus eat?
It probably ate soft-bodied prey like cephalopods and crustaceans, which it hunted in deep water.4
?Could Abyssosaurus swim?
Yes, it was a marine reptile that swam in the seas. Its front flippers were longer than its hind ones, which may have helped it swim through the water.4
?Why did Abyssosaurus have a short skull?
Its short, deep skull was likely an adaptation for feeding on soft-bodied prey in deep water, and it also had very large eye sockets.41
?Is Abyssosaurus a dinosaur?
No, Abyssosaurus was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile, not a dinosaur. It lived during the time of dinosaurs but was not one itself.4
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Myth buster
Myth: Abyssosaurus was a dinosaur.
Truth: Abyssosaurus was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile, not a dinosaur.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Abyssosaurus
- Named by
- Berezin 20115
- Group
- Plesiosaurs
- Family / clade
- Cryptoclididae5
- Classification
- Plesiosauria > Sauropterygia5
- Age of the rocks
- 133 to 126 million years (Hauterivian)5
- Countries
- Russia5
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
- Discovery
- Abyssosaurus was named and described by Alexander Yu Berezin in 2011, based on a postcranial skeleton found in Chuvashia, Russia.31
- Still debated
- Scientists debate whether Abyssosaurus belongs to the family Aristonectidae or Cryptoclididae, and some think it may be an intermediate form.31
Where the facts come from
- Abyssosaurus, Plesiosaur Directory (plesiosauria.com)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- A new plesiosaur of the family aristonectidae from the early cretaceous of the center of the Russian platform | Paleontological Journal | Springer Nature Link (link.springer.com)
- Abyssosaurus (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Abyssosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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