Unprecedented Discovery: Japan Unearths Extraordinary 72 Million-Year-Old 'Blue Dragon'

Scientists in Japan have discovered the near-complete remains of a 72 million-year-old sea monster, named "blue dragon," which belonged to a new species of mosasaur. The fossils, the most complete ever found in Japan and the northwest Pacific, reveal an unusual body plan with large rear flippers and a dorsal fin, unlike any other mosasaur. The researchers speculate that the creature used its unique flippers for diving and ascending quickly in the water, making it an adept hunter. Mosasaurs were apex marine predators during the Cretaceous period and went extinct around 66 million years ago.