Plesiosaurus (Noun)
Meaning
Extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The discovery of the well-preserved plesiosaurus fossil provided scientists with a unique opportunity to study the creature's internal anatomy.
- Plesiosaurus skeletons have been found in rocks from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous, suggesting a long history for this group of marine reptiles.
- With its incredibly long neck, the plesiosaurus was likely a fish-eater that swam near the surface of the water to ambush prey.
- According to current scientific theories, plesiosaurus lived in what are now North America, Europe, Australia, and South America during the time of the ancient supercontinents.
- Paleontologists estimate that plesiosaurus adults typically reached lengths of around 3 to 4 meters and weighed about a ton, with the largest individuals measuring over 5 meters long.