Elasmosaurus platyurus is a marine reptile from the Late Cretaceous that lived approximately 80 million years ago. This member of the plesiosaur family is famous for its extremely long neck, which makes up almost half of its total length, which is estimated to be around 10.5 meters (35 feet). Its neck is thought to have contained up to 72 vertebrae, giving it great flexibility for moving in the water.
Elasmosaurus had a streamlined body, with a relatively short, flattened torso culminating in a short tail. Its limbs had transformed into broad, flat flippers, ideal for propulsion in the water. These flippers allowed it to swim with bird-like movements, using the front flippers to generate most of the thrust and the back flippers to maneuver.
The skull of Elasmosaurus was relatively small compared to its body, with long, thin jaws packed with sharp teeth. This suggests that it was a predator that hunted fish and other small marine animals, possibly stalking its prey from below or using its long neck to reach it without having to move its massive body.
Recent studies have re-evaluated the function of its neck, and although it was initially thought that Elasmosaurus used it to hunt in deep water, it is now considered that it could be more versatile, allowing it to stalk its prey at different levels of the water, or even in shallower areas.
The discovery of more fossils and the advance in analysis techniques have improved the understanding of the biomechanics of Elasmosaurus, including how its body mass was distributed and how its bone structure supported its long neck in an aquatic environment. However, there is still debate about how this reptile used its neck in relation to its feeding and locomotor behavior. This creature represents one of the most extreme examples of evolutionary adaptation in marine reptiles, standing out for its unique anatomy and ecological specialization.
Approximate measurements of the Elasmosaurus:
- 1:60 scale assembly kit
- Length 131 mm
- Height 53 mm
- Width 55 mm
- Snout-tail length 167 mm
- 1:35 scale assembly kit
- Length 224 mm
- Height 91 mm
- Width 95 mm
- Snout-tail length 285 mm
