New fossil evidence suggests that long-necked reptiles that coexisted with dinosaurs may have been decapitated by predators. Previously, experts suspected that the lengthy necks of these marine creatures made them vulnerable. However, direct fossil evidence now confirms this theory. Palaeontologists studied the unusual neck structure of Tanystropheus, a type of reptile distantly related to crocodiles, birds, and dinosaurs. The study reveals that the necks of two Triassic Tanystropheus species were completely severed, likely indicating violent attacks by other animals. Bite marks observed on the necks confirm this hypothesis, providing rare evidence of predator-prey interactions from over 240 million years ago.
The necks end abruptly, indicating they were completely severed by another animal during a particularly violent event, as the presence of tooth traces evinces – Dr Eudald Mujal
Tanystropheus, with their unique neck structure comprising of elongated vertebrae and rigid ribs, likely used their stiffened necks to ambush prey. The species consisted of a small variant, approximately 1.5 meters long, and a larger variant growing up to six meters in length. The smaller species primarily fed on soft-shelled animals like shrimp, while the larger species preyed on fish and squid. Analysis of fossilized bones reveals clear bite marks on the necks of two Tanystropheus specimens, confirming their decapitation by predators. The intact skulls and undisturbed necks suggest that the bones were still covered by soft tissues at the time of burial, indicating that the predators were less interested in the slender necks and instead focused on meatier parts of the body. These findings shed light on the evolutionary trade-offs associated with developing long necks in marine reptiles and highlight the success of this strategy over a span of 175 million years. Tanystropheus itself thrived for at least 10 million years and inhabited various regions around the world.
Stephan Spiekman of the Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany, stated, “In a very broad sense, our research once again shows that evolution is a game of trade-offs. The advantage of having a long neck clearly outweighed the risk of being targeted by a predator for a very long time. Even Tanystropheus itself was quite successful in evolutionary terms, living for at least 10 million years and occurring in what is now Europe, the Middle East, China, North America, and possibly South America.” The study was published in the Current Biology journal.
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