#NewSpecies of #Plesiosaur Identified in United States
https://www.sci.news/paleontology/unktaheela-specta-12581.html

A new genus of small polycotylid #plesiosaurs from the Upper #Cretaceous of the #WesternInteriorSeaway and a clarification of the genus Dolichorhynchops https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667123003403

"Although convergent with #pliosaurids, the smaller gape and teeth of most #polycotylids indicate they occupied a different ecological niche."

#Paleontologists Identify Oldest-Known Mega-Predatory #Pliosaur https://www.sci.news/paleontology/lorrainosaurus-keileni-12378.html

The rise of #macropredatory #pliosaurids near the Early-Middle #Jurassic transition https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43015-y

"#Pliosaurs were a type of short-necked #plesiosaurs: marine #reptiles built for speed compared to their long-necked cousins... They were ecological equivalents of today’s #KillerWhales and would have eaten a range of prey including squid-like #cephalopods, large #fish and other #MarineReptiles."