Plesiosaur on the Hunt

In the early 1800s, Mary Anning, a young paleontologist, discovered a peculiar fossil. It turns out it was the first discovered plesiosaur. These reptiles are identified by their four flippered limbs and (for most) a long neck. In coordinated movements the four flippers would equally propel the plesiosaur forward, a unique swimming method in the animal kingdom. While four flippered animals like sea turtles do exist, these creatures predominantly use the front flippers for thrust and the back for steering. Most plesiosaurs were predators. Some likely grazed along the seafloor looking for soft-bodied prey while others likely aggressively ambushed their prey from below, much like the great white shark of today.