COSMOS MAGAZINE
Fossils found in 1988 on Vancouver Island have finally been identified as a new species of long-necked marine reptile—Traskasaura sandrae.
Marine reptiles ruled the seas during the “Age of Dinosaurs” and died out 66 million years ago along with all the non-avian dinosaurs.
Two individuals of Traskasaura sandrae hunt the ammonite Pachydiscus in the northern Pacific during the Late Cretaceous. Credit: Robert O. Clark.
The newly described species belong to a group known as elasmosaurs which had long necks and paddle-like flippers.
This bus-sized elasmosaur lived 85 million years ago and used its strong, sharp teeth to crush shelled prey like ammonites.
With a uniquely built shoulder and over 50 neck bones, Traskasaura puzzled scientists for decades before being formally classified.
Juvenile elasmosaur discovered 2020. Credit: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre.
The original bones discovered in 1988 are now on display at the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre in British Columbia.
Museum display of Traskasaura. Credit: The Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre.