New Russian Pliosaur Discovered

[suspsy]

Meet Luskhan itilensis:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/fossil-sea-creature-oceans-dinosaurs-discovered-russia-pliosaur-plesiosaur-volga-master-spirit-a7755551.html

[BlueKrono]

Figure please. CollectA, I'm looking at you.

[Halichoeres]

Hey, cool

[stargatedalek]

I'm confused, aren't these traits we already saw in Dolichorhynchops? Or is Dolichorhynchops not as close to derived Pliosaurs as I'm thinking?

[suspsy]

Dolichorhynchops is a polycotylid plesiosaur. So while it certainly resembles a small pliosaur, phylogenetic studies suggest that it's more closely related to plesiosaurids and elasmosaurids.

[Faelrin]

Can we take a moment to appreciate those googly eyes in the art?

I like how this one kind of looks a little like a dolphin. I don't know much on pliosaurs though so this is the first time I've seen one like this.

[ZoPteryx]

Very interesting pliosaur!  I certainly would've thought it was a polycotylid had I seen that image without context!    Looking a little harder though, the rear of the skull does seem to be more pliosaur-like.

Are there any photos of the actual fossil out there?

[modelnut]

By Andrey Atuchin

[Derek.McManus]

Saw this in the newspaper...very interesting!

[Sigmasaurus]

I bet you CollectA will make a figure of this (Fingers Crossed) by 2020.

[Neosodon]

The heavy body with the long slender snout seem kind of contradictory. Did it use its mouth to hunt like icthyosaurs or did it use its body to hunt like pliosaurs. I have a hard time imagining how this animal fed.

[suspsy]

The heavy body with the long slender snout seem kind of contradictory. Did it use its mouth to hunt like icthyosaurs or did it use its body to hunt like pliosaurs. I have a hard time imagining how this animal fed.

Extant river dolphins and gharials have long, slender snouts for catching small, fast-moving prey like fish or squid. Luskhan was probably no different.

[BlueKrono]

The heavy body with the long slender snout seem kind of contradictory. Did it use its mouth to hunt like icthyosaurs or did it use its body to hunt like pliosaurs. I have a hard time imagining how this animal fed.

How does one use its body to hunt?

[Ravonium]

How does one use its body to hunt?

It would probably absorb the prey in it's skin.

[Neosodon]

The heavy body with the long slender snout seem kind of contradictory. Did it use its mouth to hunt like icthyosaurs or did it use its body to hunt like pliosaurs. I have a hard time imagining how this animal fed.

How does one use its body to hunt?

Pliosaurs had bulky muscular bodies, short thick necks and big flippers designed for ambush hunting. Their bodies helped to support there large jaws and give them good acceleration but they were slow and unmaneuverable overall. The body has just as much to do with hunting techniques as the head.

[suspsy]

Where did you get the erroneous idea that pliosaurs were slow swimmers?

[Neosodon]

Where did you get the erroneous idea that pliosaurs were slow swimmers?

Physics. The large flippers and large muscular body would have given them lots of power but they would have also created lots of drag. They could have gotten a good burst of speed to take out an unsuspecting icthyosaur but they were not built for a drawn out high speed chase.

I don't really mean they were slow but they would not have been able to keep pace with more nimble marine life like sharks and icthyosaurs.

[stargatedalek]

There is absolutely no evidence for any of that. If anything bulky marine animals tend to have great stamina.

[suspsy]

I'm afraid that's simply incorrect, Neosodon. Pliosaurs have been shown to be fast swimmers.

https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/what-ultra-high-speed-penguin-footage-reveals-about-pliosaurs/49366

[Neosodon]

I'm afraid that's simply incorrect, Neosodon. Pliosaurs have been shown to be fast swimmers.

https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/what-ultra-high-speed-penguin-footage-reveals-about-pliosaurs/49366

"And that is how this beast gained sudden and tremendous acceleration."

The video was exactly what I've been trying to say. The video was talking about how they could get a tremendous amount of thrust. It never said they were chasers. Yeah they could chase down a sea turtle and maybe even some plesiosaurs but their bodies were built for more of a sudden surprise attack style hunting. They compared pliosaurs to penguins. Penguins are more streamline than pliosaurs and they also have smaller flipers and they only have two. So they are not the best comparison.

Penguins can go up to 20 miles per hour while sharks can go up to 60 miles per hour. Since icthyosaurs have a similar build to sharks it's safe to say they were both capable of outrunning a pliosaur. I wouldn't be surprised if pliosaurs were capable of exceeding 30 mph for a few seconds. But if a pliosaur got the drop on an unsuspecting shark or icthyosaur that few seconds of speed would be all it needed.