| If you're going to survive in these waters, you've got to be prepared to stick your neck out. I mean, it was hard enough for Styxosaurus seventy million years ago, when the hunters were already becoming the hunted, haha! But, we're not in Cretaceous Kansas anymore. Oh no no no no no no no! A bit of courage isn’t gonna save you from the dangers that can lurk in these depths. |
Styxosaurus is a genus of plesiosaurid marine reptile in the Jurassic World Evolution series. Originating from Late Cretaceous North America, it possesses a neck that extends for over half of its actual body length.
Styxosaurus was added to Evolution 2 as a part of the Late Cretaceous Pack, and its fossils can be found in the Coal Oil Canyon and Hell Creek Formation A dig sites.
Characteristics[]
One of the largest plesiosaurs known and notable for its extended neck, Styxosaurus is a carnivorous plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous period and can grow up to 10 meters in length. Theorized to hunt from below, its streamlined shape and sizeable fins made it an incredibly fast underwater predator that feeds on fish, squid and other marine life. With some genetic modification, the guests will be able to see Styxosaurus hunting from all the way at the bottom, as it can feature some bioluminescence attributes. Like its fellow plesiosaurs, Styxosaurus swallowed stones in order to digest its slippery prey. Its teeth weren't made for ripping any of its prey's flesh, so the stones in Styxosaurus stomach digested the food. Despite that, this genus has very sharp teeth and a powerful jaw, making it one of the most efficient predators of its time.[1]
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Paleontology[]
A large elasmosaur measuring 10.06 m (33 ft) long, the first Styxosaurus was discovered by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1890, near the Hell Creek Formation in Kansas, USA. The remains were initially ascribed to Cimoliasaurus, another plesiosaur of that era – it wasn't until 1943 that it was formally named Styxosaurus. The genus takes its name from Greek mythology, its appearance comparable to the terrifying creatures said to live within the River Styx.
Paleoecology[]
As with Elasmosaurus, Styxosaurus lived in the coastal waters of North America around 85–70 million years ago, used its streamlined body and large fins to swim at speed in search of prey. It would sweep its elongated neck through dense shoals of fish, catching them within its jaws of interlocking teeth and swallowing them whole. It has been theorised that, by positioning its body underneath the shoal and shrouded in the deep-sea fog, Styxosaurus and other elasmosaurids could gain the element of surprise by suddenly striking from below.[2] It lived alongside prehistoric sharks as well as mosasaurs such as Tylosaurus.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Styxosaurus. Jurassic World Evolution 2 Database. Retrieved 21 October, 2022.
- ↑ Styxosaurus. Prehistoric Wildlife. Retrieved 21 October, 2022.
External Links[]
- Styxosaurus on Wikipedia
