Around 72 million years ago, the Pacific seas were home to a giant marine reptile known as the “blue dragon,” identified as a mosasaur, an apex predator from the Late Cretaceous period. Named Wakayama Soryu, meaning Blue Dragon, the nearly complete fossil of this mosasaur was discovered in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture in 2006. University of Cincinnati Associate Professor Takuya Konishi and an international team of co-authors published their findings in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
The discovery is noteworthy as it represents the most complete mosasaur skeleton ever found in Japan or the northwestern Pacific. The name Wakayama Soryu is inspired by Japanese mythology where dragons, initially associated with thunder and the sky in China, became aquatic beings.
The mosasaur had distinctive features, including a crocodile-like head and large paddle-shaped flippers, with the rear flippers being larger than the front ones. Researchers believe that the large front fins might have facilitated rapid maneuvering, while the substantial rear fins could have provided pitch for diving or surfacing. The tail of the blue dragon, common to mosasaurs, would likely have generated powerful acceleration for hunting fish and propulsion.
The unique characteristics of Wakayama Soryu present challenges in classifying the species and raise questions about the function of its various hydrodynamic surfaces for steering and propulsion. The discovery challenges existing knowledge about how mosasaurs swam. The apex predator exhibited nearly binocular vision, enhancing its hunting prowess, and featured a dorsal fin resembling that of a great white shark.
The study contributes to a better understanding of the prehistoric marine ecosystem, shedding light on the diverse adaptations of marine reptiles during the Late Cretaceous period. The Wakayama Soryu fossil provides valuable insights into the anatomy and behavior of mosasaurs, contributing to the broader field of paleontology.
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