North Sea Drill Cores Reveal Plesiosaur Vomit and Feeding Habits
Dr. Dirk Knaust of Equinor ASA has identified fossilized vomit, or regurgitalites, from Jurassic-era plesiosaurs in North Sea drill cores. These fossils, found near the Troll oil field, contain shells of bivalves, worms, and crinoids that require full ocean salinity, yet they were deposited in freshwater delta sediments. This mismatch suggests plesiosaurs foraged in deep, salty waters and swam to shallow, brackish areas to regurgitate indigestible remains. Knaust formally names this new trace fossil type 'Vomitus' and attributes the remains to the Cryptoclididae family. The findings, published in the Geological Magazine, offer the first systematic classification of plesiosaur vomit and provide rare insights into the feeding behavior of these long-necked marine reptiles.