FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Pliosaurus was a new species of marine reptile that swam in seas about 190 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous period. Fossil remains of this large species were first discovered and named by Richard Owens in 1842. Its name means 'Pliocene lizard' in Greek. Pliosaurs are known today by eight different, independent species named Pliosaurus brachyspondylus, Pliosaurus carpenteri, Pliosaurus funkei (also known as predator X or P. funkei), Pliosaurus kevani, Pliosaurus macromerus (P. macromerus), Pliosaurus brachydeirus (P. brachydeirus), Pliosaurus westburyensis, and Pliosaurus rossicus. It has given its name to a whole family of marine reptiles! The fossils of each of these species have been discovered in many countries. Species P. kevani, P. westburyensis, P. macromerus, P. brachydeirus, and P. carpenteri have been discovered in England. Pilosaurus funkei, popularly known in the media as 'Predator X', is known from two fossil specimens located in Norway. P. rossicus, an outside type species of the Pliosaurs group, was discovered in Russia.
Pliosaurs were closely related to Plesiosaurs in appearance however Plesiosaurs were long-necked. This huge Pliosaur could be identified by its massive body, large head with powerful jaws, short neck, and a long snout containing conical sharp teeth. To date, the largest pliosaur fossils to have been discovered are from Svalbard, Norway and the Pliosaur was none other than the 'Predator X' specimen, possibly passing as giant predators of the sea. This 'Predator X' was discovered by a well-known Norwegian paleontologist named Dr. Jorn Hurum from the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. Paleontologists, through years of studying, have concluded the Pliosaurus bite force was huge due to its relatively short neck but big long snout. The Norwegian Journal Of Geology has described some dolphin-like reptiles, two Ichthyosaurs, a pliosaurus with a long neck, pliosaurus teeth, and some invertebrates. They had a piscivorous diet and fed on a variety of fish, their long mouth and sharp teeth making it easy to bite into their prey. Some scientists have also declared that these marine reptile species from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous period could have possibly been more intelligent and smarter than sharks!
If you'd like to discover more interesting facts on similar animals, check out our Heterodontosaurus interesting facts for kids or Ludodactylus amazing facts that you're sure to enjoy!
The Pliosaurus name is pronounced as 'Ply-oh-sore-us'! These marine reptiles were gigantic sea predators that were a little longer in length than the modern-day crocodile. The largest of these species was called 'Predator X' or scientifically, Pliosaurus funkei. They were closely related to plesiosaurs.
The dinosaur, Pliosaurus, came from the same group as Plesiosaurs and were in the Reptilia class. Sharing similar appearances, Plesiosaurs differed from Pliosaurs as they were long-necked.
Plesiosaurus species, whose name means 'Pliocene lizard', roamed the Earth during the Late Jurassic period as well as in the Early Cretaceous about 190 years ago. These marine reptiles might have had a wide range as their fossils have been recovered from sites in different countries like Australia, Norway, England, Russia, and some other parts of Europe as well.
Pliosaurs became extinct roughly about 145 million years ago. It was a plesiosaur and was not a dinosaur but it co-existed with other dinosaur species. After studying Pliosaur fossils for a long time, paleontologists have stated that these marine creatures might have been the top sea predators of their time!
The Pliosaurus lived in the ocean, seas, and near shorelines.
The Pliosaurus habitat was along shorelines, oceans, and seas. They were mostly found to inhabit large water bodies and possibly shared their habitats with sharks, whales, and jellyfish! They fed on a variety of fish and other small prey.
There are no straight Pliosaurus fossil remains as proof to indicate whether Pliosaurs hunted or lived in groups. Some paleontologists speculate that these species that lived about 190 million years ago might have lived in groups since their behavior would have matched those of modern-day marine reptiles like alligators, crocodiles, and lizards.
The Pliosaurus lived for about 70-80 years, like all other creatures of their time. They existed alongside dinosaurs but weren't animals that came under the category of a dinosaur.
Whether Pliosaurs laid eggs or not was a topic of great debate among scientists and paleontologists. However, most of them came out saying that these sea predators gave birth to live young and were doting and nurturing parents. According to scientific evidence and research, this huge pliosaur gave birth to large babies again. The shells of their eggs were hard and these sea reptiles would have probably moved onto land to lay the eggs. A scientist and dinosaur expert named Robert O' Keefe studied the fossils and said that the young ones might have lived in pods and became independent at a young age.
This genus of dinosaurs, which belong to the same group as plesiosaurs, roamed the Earth during the Late Jurassic period and maybe existed even during the Early Cretaceous period. Various skeletal fossils of the Pliosaurus specimen have been located in different countries around the world. Resembling the plesiosaur species, they had a huge body that was great in length and size. This sea animal was estimated to be about 480 in (1219.2 cm) in length and their weight was around 60,000 lb (27215.5 kg)! They a had a big head with a short neck, a long snout, and heavy jaws with sharp pointed teeth. This gave them a massive yet powerful bite, tearing into small prey easily. This giant sea animal from the Late Jurassic period is considered to be a new species or genus by many experts and researchers. The largest of these pliosaurs was discovered in Svalbard, Norway, and is called 'Predator X' (a popular term used in media) or Pliosaurus funkei (P. funkei).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pliosaurus_rossicus_3.JPG
(The Pliosaurus funkei (P. funkei) or 'Predator X' was considered to be a new species and their name was given by Bjorn and May-Liss Funke, who located these specimens.)
It is currently not known how many bones the Pliosaurus skeleton consisted of but these giant animals would have had over a 100 bones for sure! From the Pliosaurus fossil tooth, researchers have stated that they could have had really sharp teeth.
Since they were sea animals, these extinct animals would have communicated using a technique called echolocation. This method of communication is still employed by modern-day marine animals where they detect the location of underwater objects and other sea creatures as well. They would have also used this method to locate prey like small fish, amphibians, and crustaceans.
The Pliosaurus size was massive! They were estimated to be around 590.5 in (1499.8 cm) in height and about 480 in (1219.2 cm) in lengthwise. Their long snout was three times longer than the present-day common dolphin and their total body length could have been the same as a sperm whale! When comparing the Megalodon vs Pliosaurus, the Megalodon had a longer body but was a poor hunter.
The speed of this animal, which lived about 190 million years ago in the Late Jurassic, is not known in great detail but they were believed to have moved in the water relatively at a speed of 9 mph (14.4 kph) or roughly, 8.7 mph (14 kph)!
The Pliosaurus weight was estimated to be about 60,000 lb (27215.5 kg), the same as a humpback whale! The Svalbard Pliosaur or 'Predator X' was the largest species that came from the Pliosaurus family.
This animal species had no specific male or female names. They were simply called by their common name which is Pliosaurus.
It is currently not known what a baby Pliosaurus is called. Nonetheless, having a strong similarity to modern-day reptiles, their babies would have been called hatchlings.
This sea animal had a piscivorous diet. They fed on small fish, colossal squid, amphibians, mollusks, and reptiles. Some studies claim that this animal might have been a 'bottom-feeder'.
They would have been aggressive animals since various researches have declared these animals as the top predators of their respective environments. They would have also expressed aggressive behavior when threatened or preyed on.
The bite of the Pliosaurus is believed to have been four times more powerful than T-rex! Recently, the fossil remains of a Pliosaurus in China has also been identified in the Sichuan Basin. Moreover, there have been differences established between the Pliosaurus and other similar species. For instance, when comparing the Pliosaurus vs Megalodon, the Megalodon had a longer body length and wider mass but the Pliosaurus was a better hunter irrespective of being smaller in size.
When comparing the Pliosaurus vs Mosasaur, the Mosasaur was quicker.
With respect to the Kronosaurus vs Pliosaurus, the Kronosaurus was a pliosaur that was the smallest and most vulnerable of its kind.
They lived in an aquatic environment, particularly having a strong preference for ocean waters and lakeshores.
Scientists claim that temporal waters were where they favored making their homes in but others have also come forward saying that they were found in cold, Arctic waters. The Norwegian Journal Of Geology has described some dolphin-like reptiles, two Ichthyosaurs, and some invertebrates.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Caviramus facts, or Homalocephale facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable swimming dinosaur coloring pages.
Second image by Ghedoghedo.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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