Allgjeris

Allgjeris is a genus of extinct marine reptiles belonging to the order Plesiosauria. These marine reptiles lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 70 to 75 million years ago. Fossils of Allgjeris have been found in the Maastrichtian deposits of the Netherlands, specifically in the Maastricht Formation. This formation is renowned for its rich fossil record, including numerous marine vertebrates.

The genus Allgjeris was first described in 2012 by paleontologist Adam S. Smith. The type species, Allgjeris robusta, is known from partial skeletal remains. These remains indicate that Allgjeris was a medium-sized plesiosaur. Like other plesiosaurs, it possessed a long neck, a broad body, and four paddle-like limbs adapted for swimming. Its diet likely consisted of fish and other small marine organisms, which it would have captured using its sharp teeth.

The discovery of Allgjeris adds to our understanding of plesiosaur diversity in Europe during the Late Cretaceous. The Maastricht Formation provides a snapshot of a marine ecosystem that existed in the shallow seas that once covered parts of Europe. Allgjeris represents one of the many specialized inhabitants of this ancient environment. Further discoveries may shed more light on its specific adaptations and its place within the broader plesiosaur evolutionary tree.