Searching for ancient sea creatures

UNIVERSITY OF OSLO



He discovered the world's most fearsome seamonster, Predator X. Then he enchanted the world with the world’s oldest complete primate skeleton, Ida. Now Jørn Hurum and his team returns to Svalbard for new excavations.














From August 2 to August 18 fourteen scientists from the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo return to Svalbard. Their goal is to excavate prehistoric sea creatures from the Jurassic period. Follow the excavation LIVE (forskning.no)

Found a plesiosaur
In 2004 a group of palaeontologists and assistants carried out one week's fieldwork at Janusfjellet. Based on maps and photos provided by other Norwegian scientists, they were able to track a plesiosaur specimen found in 2001 and managed to free it from the matrix in five pieces. The specimen was wrapped in "field jackets", and brought back to the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. During the fieldwork the group discovered nine additional reptile specimens, including a much larger plesiosaur, and for the first time in Svalbard an Jurassic ichthyosaur with the skull preserved. Two of these were also wrapped in a "field jacket" and also brought back to the museum.

Returns to Svalbard
Based on the exceptional number and quality of specimens collected in 2004 a larger expedition was planned for the summer of 2006. The purpose of this return trip to Spitsbergen was to locate and map other marine vertebrate skeletons occurring in the Slottsmøya Member. During this 11-day expedition an additional 28 specimens were discovered, including 6 ichthyosaurs, 20 long-necked plesiosaurs, and 2 remarkable short-necked plesiosaurs (commonly known as pliosaurs). One of these pliosaurs along with one long-necked plesiosaur and one ichthyosaur were collected during a 3 week expedition the following year. In the summer of 2008 the same team collected the last pliosaur and 2 more long-necked plesiosaurs.

Fuente: Universidad de Oslo