- Researchers have compiled the bones and life of an ancient species of lizard that had an incredibly long neck.
- Tanystropheus hydroids had a neck that took almost half of its body length, and it may have given the animal many benefits.
- The lizard probably lived in the water and hunted animals along the coast like snapped fish with its long jaws.
Dinosaurs can be pretty weird. Finding fossils from a creature that lived millions of years ago often results in paleontologists trying to figure out how the animal lived, how it hunted and what it ate. In the case of the beings belonging to the family Tanystropheus, the fossils are so bizarre that they are purely explanatory, but a new study has succeeded in bringing together some aspects of the life of the alien beings.
The animals were reptiles with incredibly long necks and tails. The neck of the animal contained almost half of its body snake, which could stretch up to 16 feet. They look cartoonish, but their bodies may have given their unique benefits when it came to hunting.
As ScienceAlert reports, researchers studying fossils of the creatures had a hard time shaking their heads over what they saw. Some of the creatures were massive, while others were much smaller, but had roughly the same neck-to-body ratio, suggesting that they may have been boys of the same species.
Upon closer examination of the bones, scientists were able to determine that the smaller specimens were a completely different but closely related species. But that was just one of many questions the researchers answered.
Another pressing problem was determining where the reptiles lived. With such long necks, the animals could have been in the water at home or made use of their incredible reach on land. To answer this question, scientists had to compile the crushed skull bones of one of the specimens. They did so with 3D scanning and modeling, allowing them to rebuild the skull and learn more about the animal’s adaptations.
When this was done, something became clear earlier: the creatures wanted the grave in the water. With a skull shape that could have made it easy to fish in and other prey, along with nostrils on top of the snout, the animals seem well-suited for life in the water.
The massive neck could easily have hunted well below the surface of the water, or perhaps looked its head above the water to scan the wall for prey waiting too close. However, the creatures were incredibly unique and, if you swam in shallow water around 242 million years ago, you might have one. It probably would not end well for you.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and future tech. Most recently, Mike served as Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared in USA Today, Time.com, and countless other web and print stores. His love for reporting is second only to his gaming addiction.
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