Plesiosaur Fossils Preserve Both Skin and Scales on Ancient Sea Monster
Feb 06, 2025
Scientists found fossils of an ancient sea monster called a plesiosaur. They had long necks, flippers, and sharp teeth. These creatures lived millions of years ago. The fossils showed that some plesiosaurs had fishy scales on their flippers and human-like skin on their tails, similar to sea turtles.
This discovery gives us new clues about how these sea monsters looked and moved in the ocean. Other ancient marine reptiles evolved away from scales, but plesiosaurs kept them. The fossils were found in Germany, where the ocean preserved the soft tissues perfectly. Scientists could even see skin cell nuclei under the microscope.
This research is a big update because it changes what we thought we knew about these animals for almost 200 years. It shows us how they adapted to life in the ocean. The scientists studied samples of skin from a plesiosaur's flipper and tail. They will name the species in a future paper.
This is exciting news for scientists and anyone interested in ancient creatures. It's like a puzzle that keeps getting more interesting as we find new pieces. The fossils help us learn about the history of these amazing sea monsters and how they lived long ago.
So, next time you see a sea turtle at the beach, remember that plesiosaurs might have looked a bit like them with their fishy scales and human-like skin. It's like uncovering a mystery from a long time ago that helps us understand more about our planet's past.