Gigantic ancient sea monsters may have traveled (and terrorized) the seas using a powerful breaststroke, according to new findings.
Mosasaurs, with their alligator-like tails and lizard-like faces, were ancient marine reptiles that grew up to 50 feet (15.2 meters) long. The huge creatures – equipped with two rows of sharp teeth, powerful jaws and swift movements – were major predators in the Cretaceous period, 145.5 million to 65.5 million years ago.
To figure out how these ancient sea monsters swam so quickly to ambush their prey, a group of researchers analyzed a fossil of a type of mosasaur called Plotosaurus from the National History Museum of Los Angeles County.
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