VR Jurassic Encyclopedia #27
Plesiosaurus dinosaur facts VR 360 video education
This is the final episode in the VR Jurassic Encyclopedia series. In it, we tell you about a large extinct marine predator – Plesiosaurus! As always, we invite you to read the article and then watch the final episode of our VR 360 video.
Plesiosaurus was a large predatory sauropterygian marine reptile. It is estimated to have lived in the early part of the Jurassic period about 200 to 175 million years ago. The reptile had only one species, the type Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus.
The first complete skeleton of Plesiosaurus dinosaur was discovered in 1823 at the Lias Group in England. Subsequent excavations conducted at this site found many more fossils. The most complete remains come from England, Ireland, Germany, France, the United States, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, and Japan. As an interesting fact, it is worth adding that throughout the world, more than 900 specimens have been found.
Studies conducted on the remains of the reptile show that it measured from 3 to 4.5 meters in length. A characteristic feature of the animal was a long neck, which was about half the length of the entire body of Plesiosaurus. It is estimated that the mass of an adult individual was about 500 kilograms. Its size indicates that it was one of the smaller predators. Compared to other prehistoric aquatic predators such as Mososaurus (17 meters long), or Megalodon (20 meters long), it is clear that this was not a reptile that could dominate the underwater world.
The animal fed mainly on clams and snails. It is also believed that it could have fed on belemnites, fish, and other prey. Plesiosaurus U-shaped jaw and sharp teeth were traps for prey. It is speculated that because of its build, Plesiosaurus waited for prey to swim up to it rather than hunt it. This is indicated, among other things, by the neck of the animal, which would have made it difficult for it to accelerate in order to chase its prey.
That’s all interesting facts about Plesiosaurus in this article. For more information, check out the latest episode of the VR Jurassic Encyclopedia.
Thank you to everyone who actively participated in our VR Jurassic Encyclopedia video series. We hope these 27 episodes have helped you discover amazing new facts about the world of dinosaurs.