Sea Monster Traskasaura Sandrae: 12-Meter Plesiosaur with Bone-Crushing Teeth – “Very Odd” New Species from North America!

In a long-awaited 2025 breakthrough, paleontologists have finally solved the 40-year mystery of one of the strangest marine reptiles ever found: Traskasaura sandrae, a 12-meter-long elasmosaurid plesiosaur that prowled the northern Pacific 85 million years ago. Discovered along British Columbia’s Puntledge River in 1988 and now formally named in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology (May 23, 2025), this “very odd” predator combines primitive and advanced traits in a way never seen before.

The holotype and additional specimens—including a juvenile skeleton and isolated humerus—from the Haslam Formation reveal a long-necked giant with heavy, sharp, robust teeth perfectly suited for crushing hard-shelled prey such as ammonites. Its unique skeletal adaptations, including a powerful build and specialized denтιтion, suggest it was among the first plesiosaurs to hunt from above, ambushing victims in the open ocean rather than relying solely on stealthy underwater strikes.

Named in honor of discoverers Michael and Heather Trask and the Greek “saura” (lizard), Traskasaura sandrae was declared British Columbia’s Provincial Fossil in 2023. At roughly 40 feet (12 m) long, it dominated Late Cretaceous seas alongside dinosaurs on land, showcasing an unprecedented mix of features that challenges previous ideas about elasmosaur evolution.

This discovery rewrites plesiosaur history. Experts call it a “puzzle solver” that fills a critical gap in marine reptile diversity. From the ancient Pacific, Traskasaura sandrae emerges as a formidable sea monster whose crushing bite and unusual hunting style make it one of the most bizarre and formidable predators of the age. Paleontology’s Cretaceous oceans just gained a thrilling new chapter.