Kronosaurus

Kronosaurus

• Queensland (Australia)
• Colombia?

Kronosaurus (of Kronos, the leader of the Titans of Greek mythology) is one of the largest previously known genera of Pliosaur. Kronosaurus lived in the time of the Cretaceous period 125-100 million years ago in a shallow sea that covered Australia at that time.

Discovery history

The first fossil, a lower jaw fragment with six teeth, was found in 1889 in Hughenden in Queensland. Longman described Kronosaurus queenslandicus 1924. 1931 bis 32 were two very large incomplete skeletons found 35 km north of Richmond and partially exposed with dynamite. A total of four tons of fossil -bearing rock were sent to Harvard University in Massachusetts and composed in the 1950s, among others, by the American paleontologist Alfred Romer with the help of a lot of plastic. Cynics gave the 13 -meter-long fossil then the name " Plasterosaurus " (of English. Plaster for plaster ). Meanwhile, however, been found that the skeleton was reconstructed incorrectly and was more than nine feet long. Romer and colleagues had used too many vertebrae. A recent estimate is based of 10.5 meters and 11 tons maximum.

Hampe 1992 described a second type for a find of 1977 in Villa de Leyva in Colombia. The assignment to Kronosaurus is however uncertain.

Features

Kronosaurus had 12 cervical, 19-20 Hull, 4-5 sacral, 3 pools and about 31 caudal vertebrae and was nine feet long, with a skull length of 2.2 to 2.36 meters. The fins of the Colombian specimen reached a maximum length of 2.62 meters. The skull of the Harvard copy was very robust, high and had a bone comb. Later skull found were flat and differed significantly from the Harvard copy. Nevertheless, they are counted the same way. You may also see the skull is reconstructed incorrectly. The Colombian specimen is distinguished by the thickened ribs from all other Pliosauriern and may be another species.

The powerful jaws suspect leave with the strong teeth that Kronosaurus be fed less of fish, but of larger prey such as other marine reptiles. The 1980 fossil found in Queensland of Elasmosauriden Woolungasaurus had bite marks very large teeth. Maybe the reptile had succumbed to an attack by a Kronosaurus.

Species

• Kronosaurus queenslandicus, type species
• Kronosaurus boyacensis