New dino­saur fos­sils

It has been know for a long time that Spits­ber­gen is an Eldo­ra­do for pala­en­to­lo­gists, inclu­ding tho­se spe­cia­li­zed in dino­sau­ria. The dis­co­very of a Plio­saur at Janusfjel­let, north of Lon­gye­ar­by­en, in 2007 has rai­sed world­wi­de atten­ti­on not only amongst spe­cia­lists. In 2009, three ske­le­tons of Icht­h­y­o­sau­ria (mari­ne car­ni­vo­r­ous dino­saurs) were found and to be retrie­ved this year, when the sci­en­tists made ano­t­her spec­ta­cu­lar dis­co­very: a Ple­sio­saur with a three meter long neck. Now, the rese­ar­ches want to use their fin­dings to recon­struct the cour­se of evo­lu­ti­on in the polar sea of the Cret­ace­ous.

Source: Sval­bard­pos­ten