Mauriciosaurus fernandezi Frey et al., 2017
Sauropterygia
Plesiosauria
Polycotylidae
Late Cretaceous
Agua Nueva Fm (Turonian)
Nuevo León, Mexico
Length:2 m
This short-necked plesiosaur from Mexico is known from a nearly complete articulated skeleton of a juvenile individual. The fossil is remarkable in the extensive preservation of soft tissues outlining the animal body shape. Muscle fibers and details of the integument are visible in some section of the fossil indicating that in real life the animal was covered with millimeter size rectangular scales. The outline of the body shape shows some convergence with today's leatherback turtle, indicating similar swimming style.
April 20, 2017
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