72-million-year-old 'Blue Dragon'

Found in 2006 along the Aridagawa River, Japan, the Wakayama Soryu, a 72-million-year-old mosasaur equals the size of a great white shark

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Unlike other mosasaurs, they boast extra-long rear flippers and a shark-like dorsal fin, classified as Megapterygius wakayamaensis

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They are named "blue dragon," resonating with Japanese folklore, reflecting the shift of dragons from sky to sea in mythology

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Konishi explored Wakayama Soryu's unique swimming technique, challenging our understanding of marine animal locomotion

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Existing from 100 to 66 million years ago, mosasaurs were apex predators, alongside the Tyrannosaurus rex, facing extinction due to an asteroid

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Mosasaurs evolved from squamate reptiles, transitioning from land to sea with elongated bodies, up to 50 feet in length, and powerful tails

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Inhabiting diverse marine environments, mosasaurs faced extinction 66 million years ago due to an asteroid impact, contributing to our understanding of prehistoric marine

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72-million-year-old 'Blue Dragon'

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