Dolichorhynchops osborni Purussaurus with a large abdominal cavity

with a large abdominal cavity that would have housed a voluminous digestive system necessary for fermenting fibrous plants

It was discovered in the Shangshaximiao Formation in 2007 and officially described in 2009 by a team of Chinese paleontologists

may not have been optimal for actively hunting agile prey

in a diverse ecosystem shared with large dinosaurs such as Triceratops

Dolichorhynchops osborni Purussaurus with a large abdominal cavityDolichorhynchops osborni was a marine reptile belonging to the plesiosaur group, specifically a polycotylid , that lived during the Late Cretaceous period , approximately 9288 million years ago, when the vast Western Interior Seaway covered central North America. Unlike the classic long necked plesiosaurs, Dolichorhynchops had a short neck, a large head, and a streamlined body , making it a fast and highly efficient swimmer. Its size was considerable,