What does Elasmosaurus name mean?

What does Elasmosaurus name mean?

thin-plate reptile
The generic name Elasmosaurus means “thin-plate reptile”, in reference to the “plate” bones of the sternal and pelvic regions, and the specific name platyurus means “flat-tailed”, in reference to the compressed “tail” (actually the neck) and laminae of the vertebrae there.

Can Elasmosaurus go on land?

Amazing Elasmosaurus Facts for Kids It was a reptile. This was a slow swimming reptile. It had four paddles for swimmng that would have been rigid – perfect for swiming. It is unlikely that it would have been able to move on land.

What killed the Elasmosaurus?

It died out with the dinosaurs and other prehistoric marine reptiles at the end of the Cretaceous.

Why did Elasmosaurus have a long neck?

Some researchers have also suggested that the long necks of elasmosaurs might have been used to generate lift in a similar way. Their long necks have a slight bend around the middle of their length which could be used like the curved wing of a plane. This would further help with long-distance cruising.

Is a Elasmosaurus a reptile?

One of the first identified marine reptiles, and an instigator of the 19th-century fossil hunt known as the Bone Wars, Elasmosaurus was a long-necked predator. The plesiosaur lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period.

How tall is an Elasmosaurus?

Elasmosaur Painting Elasmosaurs have the longest necks of all plesiosaurs discovered thus far. By the late Cretaceous, the animals had reached what would be their peak length of 14 meters (46 feet) and weighed more than two tons. Their long necks were comprised of anywhere between 32 and 76 cervical (neck) vertebrae.

What period did the Elasmosaurus live in?

93.9 million years ago – 70.6 million years ago (Turonian – Campanian)
Elasmosaurus/Lived

Did Elasmosaurus breathe underwater?

Like Other Marine Reptiles, Elasmosaurus Had to Breathe Air They weren’t equipped with gills, like fish and sharks, and couldn’t live below water 24 hours a day.

Is Elasmosaurus a dinosaur?

Elasmosaurus was a plesiosaur, a type of marine reptile. It was not a dinosaur, though it coexisted with many dinosaurs. The first Elasmosaurus fossil was discovered in 1868.

What is the difference between an Elasmosaurus and a plesiosaur?

Plesiosaurs were distinguished by their long, narrow necks, small heads, and streamlined torsos. Elasmosaurus had the longest neck of any plesiosaur yet identified, about half the length of its entire body and supported by a whopping 71 vertebrae (no other plesiosaur had more than 60 vertebrae).

Is a Elasmosaurus a dinosaur?

What do you know about Elasmosaurus?

One thing people often forget about Elasmosaurus, and other marine reptiles, is that these creatures had to surface occasionally for air. They weren’t equipped with gills, like fish and sharks, and couldn’t live below water 24 hours a day.

Did Elamosaurus give birth in water?

Just like other Plesiosaurs the Elamosaurus lived in the water for it’s entire life, only coming to the surface for air. It is said that they would of given birth in the water like sea snakes do today. What makes the Elasmosaurus neat looking was their long neck!

How did Elasmosaurus morgani get its name?

In 1949 Welles named a new species of Elasmosaurus, E. morgani. It was named from a well-preserved skeleton found in Dallas County, Texas. However, part of the specimen was accidentally thrown out during the relocation of the Southern Methodist University’s paleontological collections.

What did Cope and Leidy conclude about Elasmosaurus?

Cope had apparently concluded that the tail vertebrae belonged to the neck, since the jaws had been found at that end of the skeleton, even though the opposite end terminated in the axis and atlas bones that are found in the neck. Leidy also concluded that Elasmosaurus was identical to Discosaurus, a plesiosaur he had named in 1851.