Elasmosaur - Marine Reptile

Fossil photo | Fri 9 Dec 2011  

Articulating surface of a weathered vertebra of an elasmosaur (long-necked plesiosaur) from the lower part of the Gearle Siltstone. The vertebra is almost 9 cm long and would originally have been about 9 cm in diameter as well. The size of the vertebra indicates that it originates from an animal roughly 8 metres in length. It represents the first find of elasmosaurs from the Gearle Siltstone.