Albertonectes

Name meaning:

Swimmer from Alberta

Period of life:

74 mya

Period:

Cretaceous period

Habitat:

Marine environment

Taxonomy:

Marine reptiles

Countries:

Cretaceous period Albertonectes | 3D Dinopedia

Velociraptor

Struthiomimus

Albertonectes ()

Albertonectes was a remarkable long-necked plesiosaur that lived about 73.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous, in what is now Canada. Its name translates as «swimmer from Alberta», perfectly reflecting the lifestyle of this ancient marine reptile.

Like other plesiosaurs, Albertonectes moved through the water using four powerful flippers, rowing like an underwater swimmer. Its motion was smooth and graceful, but when necessary it could reach considerable speed while pursuing prey.

What truly sets this animal apart is extraordinary even by Mesozoic standards: it had the longest neck of any known vertebrate. The neck contained 76 vertebrae and reached roughly 7 meters in length—more than half of its total body size, which measured about 12 meters.

Albertonectes most likely fed on fish and other small marine animals, using its elongated neck to approach prey unexpectedly. It may have remained almost motionless, keeping its massive body hidden in the water while only the flexible neck darted forward in a rapid strike.

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