Dolichorhynchops - Sea Monsters 7

Dolichorhynchops

Dolichorhynchops was a short-necked plesiosaur that used long, paddle-like flippers to fly through the water like a penguin. The marine reptiles were quick and agile underwater acrobats, with large eyes well adapted to spying small prey. Long, narrow jaws filled with 30 to 40 sharp teeth in a single row allowed Dolichorhynchops to
grab its prey but not cut it. Instead, the captured fish were swallowed whole.

Dolichorhynchops grew 12 to 15 feet (4 to 5 meters) long and was probably covered in smooth skin. Its winglike paddles were constructed of almost a hundred tightly packed bones, making them too stiff for use on land but excellent for swimming fast. Though the creatures may have been able to dive deeply in search of prey, the need to breathe air meant most of their time was spent near the ...LINK