Paleontologists have studied the unusual necks of two species of Tanystropheus, a type of aquatic reptile that lived during the Triassic period some 242 million years ago and had an extraordinarily long and stiffened neck that was almost three times the length of its torso.
Tanystropheus were first described as a single species, Tanystropheus longobardicus, in 1852.
These aquatic reptiles were up to 6 m (20 feet) long, and had unique necks composed of 13 extremely elongated vertebrae and strut-like ribs.
Consequently, they likely possessed stiffened necks and waited to ambush their prey. But Tanystropheus’ predators apparently also took advantage of the long neck for their own gain.
Careful examination of their fossilized bones now shows that the necks of two existing specimens representing different Tanystropheus species with severed necks have clear bite marks on them, in one case right where the neck was broken.
“Paleontologists speculated that these long necks formed an obvious weak spot for predation, as was already vividly depicted almost 200 years ago in a famous painting by Henry de la Beche from 1830,” said Dr. Stephan Spiekman, a paleontologist at the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart.
“Nevertheless, there was no evidence of decapitation — or any other sort of attack targeting the neck — known from the abundant fossil record of long-necked marine reptiles until our present study on these two specimens of Tanystropheus.”
Dr. Spiekman and colleagues recognized that the two Tanystropheus species lived in the same environment, one small species, about 1.5 m (4.9 feet) in length, likely feeding on soft-shelled animals like shrimp, and a much larger species of up to 6 m long that fed on fish and squid.
They also found clear evidence in the shape of the skull that Tanystropheus likely spent most of its time in the water.
It had been well known that two specimens of these species had well-preserved heads and necks that abruptly…
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