Both mountain and smooth skin on prehistoric lizard

Researchers at Lund University have discovered that plesiosauries, so -called swan lizards, had both scaly and smooth skin.

“We used a wide range of techniques to identify smooth skin in the tail region and mountains along the rear edge of the swimming feet,” said geology doctoral student Miguel Marx in a press release.

The marine reptiles Swan lizards (Plesiosaurians) lived at the same time as the dinosaurs for most of the time period Mesozoikum, about 203-66 million years ago.

The animal group was identified more than 200 years ago, but until now no one has managed to do a detailed analysis of soft parts from a fossilized swan lizard.

Researchers at Lund University have made the latter by analyzing the remains of an 183 -year -old swan lizard found in German Holzmaden. The researchers concluded that the swan lizards both had smooth and scale skin, probably to be able to both swim quickly and get on the seabed.

“The researchers believe that this variation can be related to different functions. The swan lizard needed to be able to swim smoothly to catch fish and octopus, something the smooth body skin provided hydrodynamic conditions. At the same time, it also needed to be able to move on rough seabed, something the scalped swimming feet made possible, ”writes Lund University in the press release.

The study has been published in the scientific journal Current Biology.