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Metro
29-05-2025
- Science
- Metro
Sea monster mystery finally solved after 40 years
Hiyah Zaidi Published May 28, 2025 1:56pm Updated May 28, 2025 2:11pm Link is copied Comments An ancient sea monster – or marine reptile – has finally been formally identified to solve a nearly 40-year-old fossil mystery. Known as the Traskasaura sandrae , it lived around 85 million years ago and was found in what is today Canada's Vancouver Island (Picture: Robert O. Clark) The beast grew to at least 39 feet long and like other members of its species – the plesiosaurs – it had a long neck which had at least 50 bones and 'robust teeth' which would have been used to crush shells of its ammonite prey. But, unlike other members of the species, the Traskasaura sandrae had a mixture of classic and evolved plesiosaur traits (Picture: Getty) The researchers believe the sea monster may have been the first to be able to hunt prey from above, as one of its strengths was downward swimming. Dr Robin O'Keefe, paper author, said: 'Plesiosaur fossils have been known for decades in British Columbia. However, the identity of the animal that left the fossils has remained a mystery, even as it was declared British Columbia's provincial fossil in 2023' (Picture: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre) The fossil of Traskasaura was first found in 1988 on Vancouver Island, on the bank of the Puntledge River, by father and daughter Micheal and Heather Trask – and after whom the genus is named. The find was mostly complete, but was poorly preserved, and revealed an adult. It was dated back to around 86.3–83.6 million years ago, which would have been the geological age of Santonian, within the Late Cretaceous period (Picture: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre) In the years since, two more specimens have been found on this island. One included an upper limb bone, and the other was a well-preserved juvenile skeleton including girdles, limbs and the chest bones. Then in 2002, the three specimens were first described in scientific literature. But researchers were hesitant to create a new genus for the first one found, which had a few 'ambiguous' features (Picture: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre) But in the new study, Dr O'Keefe and colleagues discuss a new and 'excellently preserved' partial skeleton of the Puntledge River plesiosaur which reveals more about the creature, and allows for it to be confirmed as a new species and a new genus. The Traskasaura sandrae specimens are currently on display to the public at the Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontology Center in Courtenay, British Columbia (Picture: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre) Professor O'Keefe said: 'The fossil record is full of surprises. It is always gratifying to discover something unexpected. When I first saw the fossils and realised they represented a new taxon, I thought it might be related to other plesiosaurs from the Antarctic. My Chilean colleague Rodrigo Otero thought differently, and he was right; Traskasaura is a strange, convergently evolved, fascinating beast' (Picture: Getty)
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Mystery of 'Very Odd' North American Sea Monster Cracked
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An iconic and much-loved ancient sea monster has been revealed to be an entirely new and "very odd" species of plesiosaur—solving a nearly 40-year-old fossil mystery. Traskasaura sandrae, which lived some 85 million years ago around what is today Canada's Vancouver Island, grew to at least 39 feet long. Like other plesiosaurs, it had a long neck, comprising at least 50 bones, but also "robust" teeth that would have been ideal for crushing the shells of its ammonite prey. Unlike its counterparts, however, Traskasaura sandrae had an odd mixture of classic and evolved plesiosaur traits, which the researchers believe may have made it the first to be able to hunt prey from above, with a strong affinity for downward swimming. "Plesiosaur fossils have been known for decades in British Columbia," said paper author and evolutionary biologist professor Robin O'Keefe of Marshall University, West Virginia, in a statement. "However, the identity of the animal that left the fossils has remained a mystery, even as it was declared British Columbia's provincial fossil in 2023." An artist's impression of Traskasaura sandrae hunting its ammonite prey. An artist's impression of Traskasaura sandrae hunting its ammonite prey. Robert O. Clark The first specimen of Traskasaura was unearthed in 1988 on Vancouver Island, on the bank of the Puntledge River, by father-and-daughter pair Michael and Heather Trask, after whom the new genus has been named. This find, of a largely complete but poorly preserved adult, was dated back to the Santonian—the geological age within the Late Cretaceous that spans from around 86.3–83.6 million years ago. Since then, two additional specimens have been recovered from the island—one upper limb bone, as well as a well-preserved juvenile skeleton including girdles, limbs and the chest bones. The three specimens were first described in scientific literature in 2002. At that time, however, researchers were reluctant to create a new genus based primarily on the original, adult, specimen—which featured few "unambiguous" features. In the new study, however, O'Keefe and colleagues detail a new and "excellently preserved" partial skeleton of the Puntledge River plesiosaur, shining fresh light on the mysterious creature while finally enabling it to be confirmed as both a new species and genus. "The fossil record is full of surprises. It is always gratifying to discover something unexpected," commented O'Keefe, who calls the newly classified species "strange" and "fascinating." He elaborated: "The scientific confusion concerning this taxon [species] is understandable. It had a very odd mix of primitive and derived traits. "The shoulder, in particular, is unlike any other plesiosaur I have ever seen—and I have seen a few." A Traskasaura skeleton on display. A Traskasaura skeleton on display. The Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontology Center "With the naming of Traskasaura sandrae, the Pacific Northwest finally has a Mesozoic reptile to call its own," said O'Keefe. The Mesozoic is the geological era spanning from 252 to 66 million years ago. The biologist continued: "Fittingly, a region known for its rich marine life today was host to strange and wonderful marine reptiles in the Age of Dinosaurs." The Traskasaura sandrae specimens are currently on display to the public at the Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontology Center in Courtenay, British Columbia. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about fossils? Let us know via science@ Reference O'Keefe, F. R., Smith, E. A., Clark, R. O., Otero, R. A., Perella, A., & Trask, P. (2025). A name for the Provincial Fossil of British Columbia: A strange new elasmosaur taxon from the Santonian of Vancouver Island. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 23(1).
