Borealonectes

Bor-e-al-nek-teez.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Borealonectes ‭(‬Boreal swimmer‭)‬.

Phonetic

Bor-e-al-nek-teez.

Named By

Tamaki Sato‭ & ‬Xiao-Chun Wu‭ ‬-‭ ‬2008.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Plesiosauria,‭ ‬Pliosauroidea,‭ ‬Rhomaleosauridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬russelli‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Canada,‭ ‬Melville Island‭ ‬-‭ ‬Hiccles Cove Formation.

Time Period

Callovian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Skull,‭ ‬cervical‭ (‬neck‭) ‬vertebrae and right forelimb.

In Depth

       Borealonectes is a genus of rhomaleosaurid pliosaur‭ ‬,‭ ‬a type of pliosaur that had a smaller head and longer neck than other larger pliosaurs such as Kronosaurus and Simolestes.‭ ‬The holotype fossils of‭ ‬Borealonectes were actually found within the Canadian Arctic,‭ ‬hence the name of the genus.‭ ‬Rhomaelosaurid pliosaurs like Borealonectes could be taken as in‭ ‬between the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs‭ (‬though they are usually classed with pliosaurs‭)‬,‭ ‬and may have had a greater tendency to tackle smaller prey than their larger pliosaurian relatives that were hyper carnivores of other large marine reptiles.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new Jurassic pliosaur from Melville Island,‭ ‬Canadian Arctic Archipelago.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Canadian Journal of Earth Science‭ ‬45‭ (‬3‭)‬:‭ ‬303‭–‬320.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Tamaki Sato‭ & ‬Xiao-Chun Wu‭ ‬-‭ ‬2008.

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