Frozen in time: Ancient sea monster discovered in Germany's Jurassic fossil beds
'This specimen has been in collections for decades, but previous studies never fully explored its distinctive anatomy,' said Sven Sachs of the Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld, the study's lead author. 'Our detailed examination revealed an unusual combination of skeletal features that clearly distinguish it from all previously known plesiosaurs.'Co-author Dr. Daniel Madzia of the Polish Academy of Sciences highlighted the specimen's significance as the oldest known plesiosaur from the Holzmaden area.Though the individual was immature at death, its unique features were sufficiently developed to warrant classification as a completely new genus and species.The discovery sheds light on marine ecosystem evolution during the early Toarcian period, a time marked by profound environmental shifts including a major oceanic anoxic event that impacted marine life globally.The Posidonia Shale formation, renowned for its exceptional fossil preservation, had previously yielded five other plesiosaur species representing all three major plesiosaur lineages.'This discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of marine ecosystem evolution during a critical time in Earth's history,' Dr. Madzia said. The fossil, cataloged as specimen SMNS 51945, is permanently housed at Stuttgart's Staatliches Museum fr Naturkunde.The addition of Plesionectes longicollum not only deepens our understanding of Jurassic marine biodiversity but further cements the Posidonia Shale's status as a crucial window into prehistoric ocean life.- Ends
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