Fossil of prehistoric marine predator found near Everest

Researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have found a fossil of the prehistoric marine predator Himalayasaurus in Tibet, 100km from Mount Everest.

Known as the “sea monster”, the animal was a large predator of the ichthyosaur order, which lived during the Mesozoic Era, also called the Dinosaur Era, 250 million years ago. The discovery was announced by China’s state news agency. Xinhualast week.

Among the remains were vertebrae and ribs in good condition. So far, what is known about these animals is that they were generally very fast, with an average size of 10 meters in length, reaching up to 15 meters.

According to researcher Wang Wei, head of the expedition, the find raises many questions, which the team intends to clarify. “How did the Himalayasaurus get so big? What kind of habits did he have? To which part of the globe was he most closely related during his time? These questions will be the focus of our research.”

The first fossils of these creatures were discovered in the 1960s during a survey in the area of ​​Mount Qomolangma, which emerged from the deep sea due to a collision of tectonic plates.

Based on fragmentary remains, including teeth, limb bones, and vertebrae, the species was described in 1972, receiving the designation of Himalayasaurus tibetensisin reference to the place where the traces were found.

This was considered a “dubious name”, due to the lack of features that differentiate it from other ichthyosaurs. However, the presence of distinct sharp edges on their teeth has recently been proposed as a unique attribute.

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Source: Olhar Digital