Guess What We Just Discovered? A Super-Weird Sea Monster Traskasaura sandrae from the Age of Dinosaurs!

Hey there, young explorers!

Imagine this: you’re swimming in the ocean (85 million years ago!) and suddenly, a huge creature with a super long neck and powerful jaws comes gliding down from above—ready to chomp its next snack. Sounds like a monster movie, right? But guess what? It’s real!

Let me tell you the story of Traskasaura sandrae—a brand-new species of sea reptile that scientists have finally identified after years of scratching their heads in wonder.

A Long-Lost Mystery Solved

So, back in 1988—waaaay before you were born—some fossil bones were found near the Puntledge River in a place called Vancouver Island, Canada. These bones looked strange. They belonged to a type of marine reptile called an elasmosaur, which lived during the Late Cretaceous period—that’s when dinosaurs ruled the land and giant sea reptiles ruled the oceans.

People studied the bones, but something didn’t add up. They looked familiar, but also very odd. Fast forward to today: scientists have finally figured it out! These bones belong to a new kind of elasmosaur never seen before! They gave it the name Traskasaura sandrae.

Cool name, right? Here’s how they came up with it:

• “Trask” honors the Trask family, who found the very first fossil.
• “saura” means lizard in Greek.
• And “sandrae” is in loving memory of a woman named Sandra who inspired many with her brave fight against cancer.

What Made Traskasaura So Special?

This creature was HUGE—about 12 meters long (that’s like two school buses parked end to end)! And it had super strong teeth, great for crushing stuff. But here’s the cool part—it hunted from above, diving down on its prey like a sneaky underwater hawk!

Scientists believe it loved eating ammonites, those swirly-shelled sea animals that once filled the oceans. Yum!

But Traskasaura wasn’t just strong—it was strange too. Its bones had a mix of old and new features. One of the scientists even said, “I’ve never seen a shoulder like that before!” It had a super long neck with over 50 neck bones. That’s one bendy swimmer!

BC’s Favorite Fossil

The people of British Columbia loved this fossil so much, they voted to make it the official fossil of the province in 2018! That means it’s like the dino-star of Canada’s west coast.

And you can even see Traskasaura’s real fossils if you visit the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre in Canada.

A Final Surprise…

When scientists finally put all the pieces together, they discovered that three different skeletons—all found over many years—belong to this one new species. It’s like solving a big jigsaw puzzle that was scattered for decades.

So kids, the next time you think of dinosaurs, remember: the oceans had their own amazing monsters too—and Traskasaura was one of the coolest, oddest, and most mysterious of them all!

Science Fun Fact!
Did you know that “plesiosaurs” (like Traskasaura) were not dinosaurs, but swimming reptiles that lived at the same time as dinosaurs? Think of them like the sea dragons of the ancient world!

Traskasaura Quiz – Dive into the Dino-Sea Mystery!

1. What kind of ancient reptile was Traskasaura sandrae?
A) Dinosaur
B) Bird
C) Elasmosaur
D) Crocodile

2. How long ago did Traskasaura live?
A) 100 years ago
B) 85 million years ago
C) 10,000 years ago
D) Last Tuesday

3. What made Traskasaura’s teeth so special?
A) They were glowing
B) They were soft and squishy
C) They were strong and great for crushing
D) They could sing

4. Where were Traskasaura’s fossils found?
A) In outer space
B) In a volcano
C) On Vancouver Island, Canada
D) In a treasure chest

5. What did scientists say was very unusual about Traskasaura?
A) It had wings
B) It glowed in the dark
C) It had a super weird shoulder
D) It could dance

6. What creature did Traskasaura probably eat?
A) Ammonites
B) T-Rex
C) Elephants
D) Flying fish from cartoons

7. How did Traskasaura hunt its prey?
A) Chased them in circles
B) Waited under rocks
C) Dived down from above
D) Used a fishing rod

8. What special title did Traskasaura get in British Columbia?
A) King of Dinosaurs
B) Provincial Fossil
C) Ocean Champion
D) Museum Monster

Bonus Question! (Just for Fun)

If you could name a sea monster, what fun name would you give it?