Dinosaurs & Prehistory - Prehistoric marine predators - Plesiosaurus - Prehistoric marine life - Reptiles - Jurassic
What did Plesiosaurus primarily use to move through the water?
Correct!
Plesiosaurus was an Early Jurassic marine reptile with an unusual physique: long neck, small head, relatively compact torso, and four large, wing-like fins. These four almost identically formed limbs are an unusual adaptation among known aquatic vertebrates. Studies of fluid mechanics suggest that plesiosaurs used both pairs of fins for forward movement. The rear fins were able to benefit from the water flow from the front ones and generate additional thrust. The exact coordination of the four fins may have varied depending on the speed and situation. The movement is therefore often compared to a type of underwater flight: instead of moving the body sideways like many fish, the large fins generated lift and propulsion similar to wings in the water. Plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs, but a separate group of extinct marine reptiles.
Plesiosaurus not only swam with one pair of fins, but probably used all four large fins for propulsion in the water.
