A surprisingly tiny ancient sea monster lurked in shallow waters
A newfound species of nothosaur may have had a much different lifestyle from its larger kin
![ancient nothosaur fossil](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/103020_ap_seacreature_feat.jpg?fit=1028%2C579&ssl=1)
Newly described fossils (one shown) have revealed that ancient marine reptiles called nothosaurs weren’t all large. Some were small with short, flat tails, researchers report.
Q.-H. Shang, X.-C. Wu and C. Li/Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 2020