Alberta scientist finds freshwater lizard fossil in Hungary

www.cbc.ca...

The University of Alberta department of biological sciences and the Hungarian Natural History Museum's department of paleontology and geology teamed up to excavate a bauxite mine in Hungary where they discovered the new type of the long-extinct marine lizard. Mosasaurs, unlike dinosaurs, were true lizards, meaning they were able to dislocate their jaw at will and swallow anything they could get their mouths around. This, it turns out, is what makes Caldwell's mosasaur — called Pannoniasaurus — so interesting. Most mosasaurs were giant undersea predators, some growing up to 16 metres long, which breathed air but were full-time, fearsome sea creatures complete with paddle-like limbs similar to those of a whale. They lived around the same time as the dinosaurs and have been called the T. Rex of the sea.

Nice find for Canada. Very glad these went extinct as I could see this really putting a damper on swimming.

reply to post by winterkill


Putting a dampner on swimming? I see what you did there! To be honest, swimming is WAY to relaxing, so injecting some randomness and potential violence and mortal danger, would be a welcome augmentation for this tedious past time! Lets have us some ancient lizards in the local pool!

But in all seriousness, I am thrilled to bits to learn of this discovery,and I am very happy for the Canadian scientific community. Hopefully more and more research will be undertaken in Canada!