Fun Thalassiodracon Facts For Kids

The Thalassiodracon genus has only one species which was named Thalassiodracon hawkinsi. The Thalassiodracon was also featured in an article by the natural history museum titled 'How to resurrect a sea dragon?' and was also made available to be viewed using augmented reality. This makes the Thalassiodracon known amongst many dinosaur lovers. The complete skeletons and cranial anatomy of the Thalassiodracon make it an uncommon and rare plesiosaur species.

How do you pronounce 'Thalassiodracon'?

Thalassiodracon is pronounced as 'Thala-sih-oh-dra-con'.

What type of dinosaur was a Thalassiodracon?

The Thalassiodracon was a marine reptile that was a plesiosaur.

In which geological period was the Thalassiodracon on the earth?

The geological period during which the Thalassiodracon was found is overlapping between the later part of the Triassic period and the Early Jurassic epoch.

When did the Thalassiodracon become extinct?

Although there is no specific information regarding the exact time when the Thalassiodracon when extinct, they might have disappeared along with other dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.

Where did a Thalassiodracon live?

A Thalassiodracon was a marine reptile that thrived underwater, just like other members of the plesiosaur group.

What was a Thalassiodracon‘s habitat?

Based on the Thalassiodracon fossils that had been unearthed, they lived in England, widely the western European areas known as the Lias Group, in their lower portions.

Who did a Thalassiodracon live with?

The social behavior of Thalassiodracon has not yet been determined. However, since they were a new plesiosaur genus, it is likely that they shared similar social patterns. Plesiosaurs have been known to have friendly connections between friends and family members, but also possessed aggressiveness towards creatures that threatened them.

How long did a Thalassiodracon live?

There is not much clarification surrounding the average lifespan of a Thalassiodracon.

How did they reproduce?

Like their other plesiosaur counterparts, the Thalassiodracon is also believed to have been viviparous which means that they paid eggs in order to reproduce. However, the intricacies of their method of reproduction continue to be unclear.

What did a Thalassiodracon look like?

The name Thalassiodracon roughly translates to a sea dragon. However, these extinct monsters or sea dragons were not reported to be particularly large in size. The Thalassiodracon fossils were distinguished due to the manner in which the skull remained preserved and intact.

How many bones did a Thalassiodracon have?

A Thalassiodracon was supposedly much smaller in comparison to other plesiosaurs. This is why the average number of bones in a Thalassiodracon was lesser as a plesiosaur. The number of cervical vertebrae in a Thalassiodracon body ranged between 27 and 31. This number was lesser compared to the average 35-37 range that other plesiosaurs had. On the basis of facts that were discovered later through the cranial anatomy of a preserved skull, it was established that the premaxilla of the Thalassiodracon hawkinsi included a dorsomedial ridge. Some interesting Thalassiodracon facts suggest that it was also known for long sharp teeth, which could help it in hunting.

How did they communicate?

Paleontologists have not been able to shed much light upon the mode of communication used by the extinct monsters.

How big was a Thalassiodracon?

The average length of a Thalassiodracon is believed to have been 5-6.5 ft (1.5-2 m). At this length, the Thalassiodracon plesiosaur comes among the shorter plesiosaur genus, which may extend up to 49 ft (15 m). The Thalassiodracon size, was, therefore, not particularly large.

How fast could a Thalassiodracon swim?

The speed at which a Thalassiodracon swam was not determined on the base of the Triassic fossils. Moreover, considering that general plesiosaur speed ranges widely from 0.89-5.59 mph (1.44-9 kph), it is difficult to estimate the speed of a Thalassiodracon accurately.

How much did a Thalassiodracon weigh?

The weight of a Thalassiodracon has not been ascertained on the basis of the Thalassiodracon fossils that had been excavated.

What were the male and female names of the species?

As per the information available to date, the Thalassiodracon does not have different names based on their sex.

What would you call a baby Thalassiodracon?

Thalassiodracon offspring have not been assigned a different name other than Thalassiodracon hawkinsi, just like the entire genus.

What did they eat?

A Thalassiodracon was a carinovore. However, being a plesiosaur of a smaller size, it is likely that they fed on dinosaur corpses, Ichthyosaurs, or, clams. Due to their sharp long teeth, it is also possible that they preyed on fish.

How aggressive were they?

The Thalassiodracon genus and the T. hawkinsi species that it consisted of have not been known to have aggressive behavior. However, plesiosaurs have been rumored to be aggressive when provoked.

Did You Know...

The Thalassiodracon fossils indicated that the species had a characteristically long neck, which gave it distinctiveness.

Richard Owen, an English paleontologist was responsible for naming the species Plesiosaurus hawkinsi, and later in 1996, it was renamed as the Thalassiodracon by Storrs & Taylor.

*We've been unable to source an image of Thalassiodracon and have used an image of Lesothosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Thalassiodracon, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]