Fossil evidence found beneath the North Sea suggests that plesiosaurs, prehistoric marine reptiles, swam to the coastline to vomit, according to The Telegraph. The findings indicate these creatures expelled indigestible material in a manner comparable to how owls regurgitate pellets, a behavior reported by Popular Science.
The fossils date back roughly 160 million years to the Jurassic period, Moneycontrol.com reports. Discover Magazine notes that the ancient vomit was uncovered under the North Sea, offering clues about where plesiosaurs may have rested after feeding. Phys.org describes the animals as "queasy" plesiosaurs that made their way to shore for this purpose.
Plesiosaurs were large marine reptiles that lived during the age of dinosaurs. The discovery adds to understanding of their feeding habits and digestive processes, suggesting they separated indigestible remains from their food and expelled them rather than passing them through their systems. The behavior of returning to shore for this act, as indicated by the fossil evidence, points to a repeated pattern rather than an isolated event.
The research, covered by multiple outlets including The Telegraph, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, Moneycontrol.com, and Phys.org, centers on fossilized remains that preserve evidence of this regurgitation. The location beneath the North Sea provides a specific geographic context for where these events occurred.
Further study of the fossils may clarify how often plesiosaurs exhibited this behavior and whether it was tied to particular prey or environmental conditions.
