Canada, the remains of a marine predator found millions of years ago have been discovered

A newly published study has announced the discovery of what has been identified as a new species of Elasmosaurus, according to research published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology. The newly identified genera have been officially named “Trascasura sandrei”. Elasmosaurus was an ancient marine reptile that lived during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 80 to 65 million years ago. This animal belonged to the Plesiosaur family and is famous for its long-necked body. Its remains were first discovered in 1868 in North America (Kansas, USA).
It was about 13–14 meters (42–46 ft) long, weighed 2,000 to 2,500 kilograms (2.5 tons), had about 71 cervical vertebrae, and had a small, pointed head. Elasmosaurus was a marine animal, and it usually lived in warm, shallow ocean waters. It was a carnivore. It ate fish, octopuses, and other small marine animals.

It hunted stealthily using its long neck. Its long neck allowed it to reach prey without moving its entire body. Its four flippers helped it to swim effectively in water, but it was probably not a fast swimmer. The first fossil was discovered in 1868 by the famous American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope. Elasmosaurus had one of the longest necks among plesiosaurs. It was not a dinosaur, but a marine reptile — and it lived entirely in the water, not on land. Its long neck was an evolutionary trait that was advantageous for hunting but made it vulnerable defensively.

Elasmosaurus became extinct about 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which was caused by a large meteorite or volcanic eruption. This event wiped out 75% of all life on Earth, including the dinosaurs. Elasmosaurus is still the subject of scientific research today, especially the structure and movement of its neck. Many scientists are investigating how far it could bend its neck and what its function was in the water.