The Discovery
During the final part of the dinosaur era, giant marine lizards known as mosasaurs dominated the oceans. New research published in Current Biology sheds light on how these ancient predators moved and hunted. Led by Kiersten Formoso, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, scientists analyzed fossil skeletons to calculate the first numerical estimates of burst swimming performance for prehistoric ocean reptiles.
What Scientists Found
Researchers created physical models for four specific mosasaur species: Platecarpus, Tylosaurus, Mosasaurus, and Plotosaurus. Because soft tissues rarely survive fossilization, the team used modern lizard anatomy, including Komodo dragons, to reconstruct missing tail musculature. They tested a explosive maneuver called a "slam-start," where an animal bends its tail sideways and sweeps it forcefully to push forward through the water.
The physics simulations produced several key findings:
- An exceptionally large Tylosaurus could reach roughly 15 miles per hour in a single powerful tail sweep.
- Platecarpus achieved the fastest acceleration overall due to a long, highly flexible tail section that bent far before delivering thrust.
- Platecarpus and Tylosaurus were naturally suited for ambushing prey in shallow marine environments.
- Mosasaurus and Plotosaurus were better equipped for sustained, open-water pursuit, with Plotosaurus possessing tail structure adapted for tuna-like swimming.
Why It Matters
These mechanical findings align with other fossil evidence, including chemical analyses, bite force estimates, and patterns of tooth wear. The precise age of these fossils in millions of years is not specified in the source; please check the official notice. To assist future research on how extinct land animals adapted to water, the research team is making its physical modeling tools publicly available. The study was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Geological Society of America, and the Paleontological Society.
Source: prehistoric animals new study - BingNews · Published October 22, 2026 · Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash