In an objective summary of "Pregnant Plesiosaur Fossil May Shed Light on Ancient Animal’s Behavior," I would include details about the fossil discovery, such as its age (78 million years) and the size of the pregnant plesiosaur and its embryo. I would also highlight the significance of the finding, specifically that it provides definitive evidence of live birth in plesiosaurs, contrasting their reproductive behavior with that of most reptiles. Additionally, I would mention the implications for understanding their social behavior and parenting, drawing parallels to modern marine mammals like dolphins. However, I would not include personal opinions or interpretations about how this discovery might change perceptions of ancient marine life, nor would I add any extraneous information about plesiosaurs that is not directly related to the findings of the study.
"Pregnant Fossil May Shed Light on Animal Behavior" by PBS NewsHour Scientists have pieced together the first-ever fossil of a pregnant plesiosaur, a giant Mesozoic sea reptile from the Cretaceous Era, with an embryo still inside. The animal, which roamed the seas 78-million years ago, is about 15-feet long—the length of a minibus—and bones indicate that the baby plesiosaur would have been as long as six feet when born. The finding, published in the online edition of the journal Science on Thursday, is definitive evidence that the giant sea creature gave birth to single, live offspring, rather than laying eggs, like most reptiles, says paleontologist and lead author F. Robin O’Keefe. This reproductive behavior also indicates that the animals were gregarious social creatures that cared for their young, similar to toothed whales or dolphins, according to the paper.
Use the passage “Pregnant Plesiosaur Fossil May Shed Light on Ancient Animal’s Behavior” to answer the question. Write 4–5 sentences in which you explain what you would include and not include in an objective summary of “Pregnant Plesiosaur Fossil May Shed Light on Ancient Animal’s Behavior.”
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