Cardiocorax

Cardiocorax had a heart-shaped hole between its shoulder blades, which is why it is named 'heart raven'.1

Its shoulder blade had a very small upper part, unlike other elasmosaurids. This helped it swim with a special rowing motion.2

The first fossils of Cardiocorax were found in 2015 in Angola, Africa. They included a complete shoulder and hip girdle, neck bones, and part of a front flipper.1

A second specimen was found just 7 meters away from the first one. It had a more complete hip and a hind flipper.1

Cardiocorax lived about 71.4 to 71.6 million years ago, during the early Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous.1

Its species name 'mukulu' means 'ancestor' in Angolan Bantu languages.1

Cardiocorax is a type of elasmosaurid, a group of plesiosaurs with very long necks and small heads.1