From the early Jurassic until the middle Cretaceous periods, Pliosaurs reigned supreme. These short necked plesiosaurs were essentially giant swimming heads, with short bodies and flippers, and contain famous species like Liopleurodon and the headline-making Pliosaurus discovered in the UK in 2014, making news last year. Despite their impressive reign, Pliosaurs dwindled as the Cretaceous marched on. With the onset of the Turonian age, only two species remained: Brachauchenius lucasi and Megacephalosaurus eulerti. Both animals are known from Turonian strata, but l've personally seen Brachauchenius fossils recovered right at the Turonian/ Coniacian boundary. This makes Brachauchenius the last of the Pliosaurs, and witness to the rise of their usurpers-the mosasaurs. With no more pliosaurs and the extinction of all ichthyosaurs shortly before, mosasaurs had an open field and took over the Cretaceous seas. . . . #paleontology #fossilhunting #fossils #fossil #geology #biology #plesiosaur #brachauchenius
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