Elasmosaurus platyurus
“ Oceanic long-necked armada, but very deadly if it extends too far. ”
– Christopher Michael Pratt
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: †Sauropterygia
Order: †Plesiosauria
Family: †Elasmosauridae
Subfamily: †Elasmosaurinae
Genus: †Elasmosaurus
Species: †Elasmosaurus platyurus
Descendant: Plesiosaurs
Named by: Edward Drinker Cope
Year Published: 1868
Size: 10.3 meters (34 ft) in length
Lifespan: 60 years?
Activity: Diurnal
Type: Reptiles (Plesiosaurs)
Activity: Crepuscular 🌇
Thermoregulate: Endotherm
Title:
Long Necked Plesiosaur
Other Name(s)/Alias(es):
Long-necked Armada
New Nessie
Nessie's Ancestor
Pantheon: Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳
Time Period: Late Cretaceous
Alignment: Neutral
Threat Level: ★★★★★
Diet: Carnivorous 🥩🐟
Elements: Water 🌊
Inflicts: Waterblight 🌊
Weaknesses: Electric ⚡, Leaf 🌿
Casualties: none
Based On: Itself
Conservation Status:
Earth (Late Cretaceous): Not Evaluated (NE) – IUCN Red List
Earth (Paleocene–Holocene): Extinct (EX) – IUCN Red List
Berbania/Hirawhassa: Extinct in the Wild (EW) – IUCN Red List
Reinachos/Ityosel: Endangered (EN) – IUCN Red List
Delphia/Thatrollwa: Extinct in the Wild (EW) – IUCN Red List
Elasmosaurus is the extinct genus and species of plesiosaur that lived in North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, about 80.5 million years ago. Elasmosaurus is known from the Pierre Shale formation, which represents marine deposits from the Western Interior Seaway.
Oaruwyrm is the Modern English word for "oar wyrm".
It was so-named ("near lizard"; Greek: πλησίος (plesios), near to + σαῦρος (sauros), lizard) by William Conybeare and Henry De la Beche, to indicate that it was more like a normal reptile than Ichthyosaurus, which had been found in the same rock strata just a few years earlier.
These reptiles, which were around 34 feet (or 10.3 meters) long, had streamlined bodies and legs that were formed like paddles or flippers to aid in swimming through the water. They were able to approach their prey closer because to their flippers because they lacked flexible necks. They had a triangular-shaped head with a big jaw and smaller teeth near the back of their mouth. Their front teeth resembled fangs. They most likely had about 40 teeth in total, based on the present specimens that are known.
Only in shallow water, where it could rest its body on the bottom, could Elasmosaurus elevate its head and neck above the water. Elasmosaurus would not have been able to raise its head and neck very high due to the weight of the neck, the restricted muscle action, and the limited mobility between the vertebrae. The Elasmosaurus' head and shoulders most likely served as a rudder. The rest of the animal's body would move in the same way if the anterior part of the body moved in that direction. Elasmosaurus would not have been able to swim in one way while moving its head and neck in a different direction, whether it was vertically or horizontally.
Elasmosaurids had streamlined bodies and long paddles that suggest they were active swimmers, and they were completely adapted to life in the ocean. Elasmosaurids' peculiar body structures would have limited how fast they could swim, and it's possible that their paddles operated in a way like how oars row, making it impossible for them to twist and holding themselves rigidly. Even the ability to maintain a consistent, high body temperature (homeothermy) was thought to have allowed plesiosaurs to swim continuously.
Elasmosaurs predominantly preyed on fish and ancient cephalopods like belemnites and ammonites, a group that includes modern squids and octopuses. Elasmosaurs are thought to have been somewhat sluggish ambush predators who caught their victims using their long necks and small, pointed teeth.
The Elasmosaurus and all plesiosaurs are typically seen lying horizontally close to the water's surface, just like sperm whales and other cetaceans do today. They can, however, drift in groups for roughly 20 to 35 minutes at a time while resting vertically and in a deeper state of sleep where they glide just below the water's surface.
As discussed above, plesiosaurs might have had social bonds with 'friends' and relatives, but they might been aggressive too, and maybe with some species mostly behaving aggressively towards conspecifics.
Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus fossils that are unmistakable are only found in the Lyme Regis region of Dorset. It seems to be the most prevalent plesiosaur species in England's Lias Group. The greatest places to find Plesiosaurus are the "upper part of the Blue Lias, the 'Shales with Beef,' and the lower Black Ven Marls," the latter of which is a part of the Charmouth Mudstone. These rocks are dated to the early Sinemurian stage using ammonite fossil zones from the Lias Group. Subsequent Sinemurian rocks contain a few additional Plesiosaurus fossils. A skull that is believed to have originated from late Rhaetian or early Hettangian rocks could be the oldest specimen. Plesiosaurus inhabits Europe, but only on coral reefs and areas close to the coast.
Movement Pattern: Random
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Stable
Population: 0
Locomotion: Aquatic
Habitat: Warm Littoral; Cold Littoral; Warm Intertidal; Cold Intertidal; Kelp Forest; Coral Reef; Barrier Reef; Guyot; Neritic Zone (Warm); Neritic Zone (Cold); Pelagic Zone (Warm); Pelagic Zone (Cold); Benthic Zone.
Earth:
Extinct: Mexico; United States
Since the survivor is always within 8 radius of the egg sac hatching, all plesiosaurs are instantly domesticated when they emerge from an egg sac. A whip, fish flesh, mollusk meat, or fish eggs can all be used to tame a plesiosaur if it isn't already trained when it is born.
In Saurfolk mythology and later religions made by humans, Elasmosaurus that live on the sea to animal and finally humans, made in the image of Enn (Ancient Gods or Isu in Assassin's Creed) were created during Late Cretaceous, mostly the gods are Saurfolk-like highly-advanced species before evolution of birds and mammals in Paleocene.
At the conclusion of the tale, Adonis and Hephaestus each move some Elasmosaurus from the Late Cretaceous to the Holocene in California across Guatemala to everywhere else. Mosasaurus, Xiphactinus, Lepidotes, and others were observed swimming with a school of whales, dolphins, fish, seals, and sea snakes since Mosasaurus was king of the seas prior to Meranie and Ronaldo's wedding.
Princess Meranie and Duke Ronaldo's Sundrop and Moonstone magic, as well as being manipulated by Pieces of Eden or Terran Old Artifacts, allowed the Kaiwhekea and other Late Cretaceous organisms to target and breed great white sharks somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, from the Osaka region to the city of Auckland.
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