"The fact that this guy had a body and head in the same animal is ... million-year-old "long-necked marine reptile," known as a plesiosaur, was found in western Queensland. Amateur fossil hunters ...

The scale-less skin on the rest of the body would have reduced the effects of drag when swimming. “The actual external appearance of long-necked plesiosaurs is really anyone’s guess ...

Plesiosaurs inhabited the oceans of the Mesozoic for over 130 million years. Their distinctive body, with a long neck and powerful flippers, allowed them to swim efficiently and hunt marine prey.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have examined fossilized soft tissue from a plesiosaur for the first time, revealing that the ancient marine reptile had both smooth and scaly skin. The study, ...

They were not part of the plesiosaur’s body. A CT scan revealed that the shards were the remains of material that was finely crushed beyond its original shape and brought together into a lump.