Jurassic fossils show plesiosaurs swam to river deltas to vomit
New research published by Cambridge University Press reveals that Jurassic plesiosaurs swam into Norwegian river deltas to regurgitate indigestible shells.
Fossilized pellets found in delta waters
Paleontologist Dr. Dirk Knaust identified fossilized remains of plesiosaur vomit pellets in shallow waters located 50 kilometers off the Norwegian coast. These clumps of regurgitalites contained shellfish that required steady salt levels to survive, yet they were found in a freshwater river delta.
Animals could not crush hard shells
Previous research suggests these long-necked marine reptiles angled their heads down to collect shellfish from the seafloor but lacked teeth strong enough to crush them. Consequently, their stomachs compacted the skeletal material so they could be vomited up as pellets similar to those made by owls today.
Behavior matches modern marine species
The behavior observed in these ancient creatures resembles that of current fur seals and marine crocodiles which also swim to shore to expel indigestible elements. Knaust notes that incoming freshwater would have made it impossible for the sensitive shellfish inside the pellets to live in that environment.
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