Plesiosaurs were aquatic reptiles with long necks, small heads and flippers. Until recent discoveries in Morocco, scientists believed these creatures only lived in saltwater oceans.
The unearthing of fossils within the Cretaceous rivers of Morocco provides evidence plesiosaurs also survived in freshwater environments along with numerous other carnivorous animals.
Plesiosaurs inhabited earth for over 100 million years beginning around 205 million years ago, with numerous adaptations and species. They fed on clams, fish, squid and other reptiles. The largest plesiosaur, Elasmosaurus, could reach lengths of 45 feet.
100 million years ago the Kem-Kem Basin of Morocco was once a lush and fertile area of lakes, rivers, and swamps as large parts of North Africa was covered by an inland sea.
Includes label
Type: Plesiosaur Vertebra
Age: Cretaceous (95 million years old)
Locality: Kem-Kem, Morocco
Size: 3.56 x 2.19 x 2.13 inches
Weight: 9.60 oz.