Inneissa

Inneissa is a genus of extinct marine reptiles belonging to the order Plesiosauria. These creatures lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 70 to 66 million years ago. Fossils attributed to Inneissa have been discovered in the Maastrichtian deposits of North Africa, particularly in Morocco.

The genus Inneissa is characterized by certain anatomical features that distinguish it from other pliosaurs. These include specific cranial and vertebral morphologies. Like other plesiosaurs, Inneissa was a marine predator. Its body shape was likely streamlined, with a long neck and tail, and four large flippers used for propulsion through the water. The diet of Inneissa would have consisted of fish, ammonites, and possibly other marine reptiles.

The discovery of Inneissa contributes to our understanding of the diversity of marine life during the final stages of the Mesozoic Era. Its presence in North African waters indicates a complex and varied marine ecosystem existed there in the Late Cretaceous. Research on Inneissa continues to shed light on the evolutionary relationships within the plesiosaur lineage and the paleobiogeography of ancient oceans.