My theory being that the neck has extended over time to allow the plesiosaur get closer to animals at the waters edge without the bulky body creating waves or breaking the surface and giving it away. Thus similar hunting style as a croc.

I would like to thank Dr Adam Stuart Smith for having such an informative website and I hope that with more of us pondering over the puzzle of “Why a long Neck?”, the quicker it will be for him to have a very close picture of the ideas behind the plesiosaur evolution and life-style.

We were having what seemed to be an intelligent discussion of the possible reasons plesiosaurs have long necks. You have one theory, I have a theory from another approach, we discuss and refine theories and thus get closer to the answer.

You have gotten a bit nasty about it. So therefore we can not discuss the question as intelligent people and find the answer. What a pity. It is an interesting puzzle to think about.

If the answer was known then the question would not have been asked.

The evolution of the length of the neck comes from keeping the body in the water hidden from prey. The head hits the target at the waters edge, while the body stays at depth making no waves. The greater the distance the weapon is from the bulky body, the greater the ability for an ambush attack.

I have only been looking at the creature for the last two weeks. In studying the body my theory seems the most logical. When it comes to pre-history, the idea’s about the life of many creatures change every few years. We have only dug up a tiny percentage of what life has passed. We have not dug up enough to tell us the complete life-style of any creature that has existed before our time. We have dug up enough to say they existed and enough to have “Educated Guesses”. With each new dig our guesses change.

Just think in 65 million year when the fossils of 20th century humans are dug up. What “Educated Guesses” would be made. What would the guesses be when one stomach remains reveal processed food, one from say Korea where they eat a lot animal products and another who is a vegetarian.

Apologize in advance, Bruce, but just can’t resist writing that your croc theory is truly a crock.

Ok, I’ll give just one example. Fossilized fish and squid remains have been found in long-necked plesiosaurs. But where are those fossilized remains of what you theorize to be its primary prey, land based animals? Zero have been found.

But most tellingly, your theory offers no evolutionary reason for the ever lengthening necks of species like the elasmosaurs right before their extinction. Which, btw, was the original topic question.

However, I applaud you. New theories are always good to think about as long as they don’t invole the paranormal or suppernatural. So thanks for posting.

If they competed, plesiosaurs obviously came second. When the going got tough at K-T time, the crocs could eat plesiosaurs but not vice versa.

I stick with the idea that it is a shoreline hunter that is designed to prey on land creatures. In competition with the crocodile.

The eyes are on top of the head next to the snout. This indicates that when it breathes it looks above the waterline. The teeth are much like a crocodile, designed to grab. It swallows stones much like a crocodile does. Some long-necks have hardened skulls and re-enforced spine which seem to indicate bite and roll behaviour.

The theory that the creature has eyes on the top of its head to ambush something swimming above it does not make sense because its neck does not really bend that way. Being a air-breather it will constantly have to surface and get back into position and hope it did not give itself away.

Yes there have been remains of fish and squid found in a few fossils. Crocs eat fish and squid as well. Big sharks have been know to eat people, number plates, rubber boots and power cables.

So summary. Long-necked Plesiosaur. River and coastal creature. Primarily hunts for land based creatures in a similar manner to a croc. Competes with crocs.

Again, we’re only talking about the Plesiosaurs – not every other idea about what Nessie could be.

And I re-read my other post and can’t see where I’m calling calling “all” any one group another, but I know MANY cryptozoology fans love science and embrace evolution. But where Young-earthers are trying to specifically hijack mystery animals to try and “debunk science” I want to make sure a sound, fact-based response is available.