"Pregnant Fossil May Shed Light on Animal Behavior"

Question

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.”

Answer 1

In an objective summary of “Pregnant Plesiosaur Fossil May Shed Light on Ancient Animal’s Behavior,” I would include key details such as the discovery of the first fossil of a pregnant plesiosaur, its size, and the significance of the finding regarding its reproductive behavior. I would mention that the plesiosaur lived 78 million years ago and that the fossil provides evidence for live births rather than egg-laying, which is typical of most reptiles. Additionally, I would emphasize the implications of this discovery for understanding the social behavior of these animals, comparing them to modern toothed whales or dolphins. I would not include subjective interpretations or emotional language, such as personal opinions on the significance of the discovery, nor would I delve into unrelated details that do not directly contribute to understanding the findings of the study.