Long-necked Thalassomedon

Not long for collectors to wait now, the last batch of CollectA prehistoric animal models are on the water and they should be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in a few days.  Amongst the models due to arrive shortly, is a replica of the giant elasmosaurid Thalassomedon.  At twelve metres long, this huge plesiosaur was one of the largest of the early elasmosaurids.  Thalassomedon was named in 1943, from fossil material discovered in Colorado (United States), in 1939, the genus name means “Sea Lord” and it is pronounced “fal-lass-so-me-don”, CollectA already have a number of marine reptiles in their portfolio including Liopleurodon, Temnodontosaurus as well as the plesiosaurids Hydrotherosaurus and Attenborosaurus.

Thalassomedon

Everything Dinosaur’s Scale Drawing of Thalassomedon

A mighty Thalassomedon sea monster.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Thalassomedon swam in the Western Interior Seaway, an inland sea that divided North America in two, during the Cretaceous.  Fossils of Thalassomedon are associated with the Cenomanian faunal stage, the first stage of the Late Cretaceous.  It is very likely that this giant fed on fish and squid.

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Links with Greek Mythology

The choice of Thalassomedon as a model for CollectA’s Deluxe range has been influenced by of all things, Greek mythology.  The writer, historian and soldier Xenophon, led ten thousand mercenaries stranded in Persia back to Greece via the Black Sea.  After a perilous journey through enemy territory, when the troops reached the sea they shouted with joy as reaching the coast meant rescue.

Anthony Beeson, the designer of the prehistoric animal models at CollectA, in an exclusive interview with Everything Dinosaur explained:

“The marine reptile Thalassomedon (sea lord) is another favourite of mine, and not only for the animal itself.  As a somewhat singular and quirky aside, I have to admit that its name is special to me as I have always loved that Greek word Thalassa since, as a child, reading about the March of the Ten Thousand and of Xenophon’s army crying out joyously “Thalassa! Thalassa!”  The sea!  The sea!  Sighting the Black Sea at the end of their perilous march.”

Thalassomedon Had a Long Neck

The animal’s remarkable neck comprised about half of its length.   It contained sixty-two vertebrae.  The CollectA model is, we believe, the first replica to show the tail fluke that at least some species of plesiosaur were endowed with to aid steering.

To view the current range of CollectA Deluxe prehistoric animal scale models available from Everything Dinosaur: CollectA Deluxe Scale Prehistoric Animal Models.

We look forward to receiving stocks of this new marine reptile model, perhaps when it arrives at our warehouse we will cry “Thalassa!  Thalassa!”