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Elasmosaurus Research Paper

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The elasmosaurus was an aquatic plesiosaur of formidable size which existed in the Campanian stage of the Cretacious period. There are several distinct types of elasmosaurs, but for the purpose of this paper the focus will be on elasmosaurs that are non-aristonectine – or elasmosaurs not of the group Aristonectinae which were distinguished by their larger heads and shorter-necks. In this paper, I will discuss the discovery of existing fossils, the timeframe it existed in, the locations in which it lived, and its appearance, speciation, lifespan, and lifestyle. The first known fossil of the elasmosaurus, elasmosaurus platyurus, was discovered in Kansas by the US scientist Edward Drinker Cope. He published a paper on the elasmosaurus in 1868. …show more content…

It possessed a long neck that was composed of 50 to 70 vertebrae. These vertebrae were usually longer than they were wide, which evidences that their necks were probably not flexible. Early depictions of the elasmosaurus, such as in the painting by Charles R. Knight, showed it as having a snake-like neck that coiled easily and catch prey from any forward direction. In the abstract of the paper Elasmosaur (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) neck flexibility: implications for feeding strategies by Zammit M., models were created in two dimensions from the elasmosaur Aphrosaurus furlongi to measure neck movements in horizontal and vertical planes. The data was then compared to similar creatures such as the snake, turtle, and seal. According to the paper, “…the elasmosaurian neck was capable of a 75-177 degrees ventral, 87-155 degrees dorsal, and 94-176 degrees lateral range of movement depending upon the thickness of cartilage reconstructed between each vertebra. Neck postures such as a 'swan-like' S-shape are shown to be implausible because they require >360 degrees vertical flexion. However, maintenance of a straight neck while swimming, together with considerable lateral and/or ventral movement during prey capture and feeding are feasible.” This evidence suggests that their range of motion was limited. Contrary to popular belief, they could not lift anything but their heads above the water. Doing so would require them to press against …show more content…

It has been proposed that elasmosaurs had several different kinds of paddling motion which helped it move in a variety of conditions. Among these are rowing, sub-aqueous flying, and modified form of flying. Rowing, which employed flat-sided backstrokes and thin-sided recovery strokes to give itself momentum, has been deemed unlikely by scientists since its flippers were not designed for horizontal movement or paddling. Sub-aqueous flying, which involved moving the flippers up and down to create constant thrust, has also been deemed unlikely since its limbs were not designed to move far upwards. Finally modified form of flying, which used both rowing and sub-aqueous flying together by providing thrust on the downstroke and cutting water with the recovery stroke, has been deemed the most likely of the three proposed methods. In addition, the most likely method of utilization involved alternation between the fore and hind

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