Paleontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that resembles the mythical Loch Ness Monster

A group of paleontologists from the United States announced the completion of the study of parts of the skeleton of a marine dinosaur with a crocodile face and a snake neck. They were found at excavations in Wyoming back in 1995, but scientific work on the species itself appeared just the other day.

IN articleA long-snouted and long-necked polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America, published in the journal iScience, scientists say the bones likely belong to a polycotyloid plesiosaur from the Cretaceous. The reptile was named Serpentissuchops pfisterae, which roughly translates to "a creature with a snake-like crocodile face."

According to scientists, this is something very similar to the mythical Loch Ness monster, which is often depicted that way.

Paleontologists had about 35% of the entire skeleton of the creature - only parts related to its legs and feet, which scientists believe were shaped like oars, were missing. After a deep analysis of the fossils, the following were made

• Unlike most other plesiosaurs, this one had a very long neck and large, elongated jaws. These features probably aided in delivering quick side kicks to catch prey.
• Long conical teeth indicate that the reptile fed on a large number of small animals. In the water, she moved her neck back and forth, making lunges to grab and swallow fish or other sea creatures.
• The wide cervical neural spines suggest that it had large epaxial muscles that allowed it to move its head and neck quickly.
• Plesiosaurus reached a length of 7 meters.

The skeleton has been dated to the Mesozoic period - it was found in slates between 66 and 101 million years old. ago and was just one of many types of plesiosaurs included in the group of marine diapsids (a subclass of reptiles).