Otetavana

Otetavana is a genus of extinct marine reptiles belonging to the order Plesiosauria. These creatures lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 80 to 75 million years ago. Otetavana fossils have primarily been discovered in North America, specifically in formations dating to this period.

The genus is characterized by its relatively small size compared to some other plesiosaurs, and specific features of its vertebrae and skull structure. Like other plesiosaurs, Otetavana was likely a marine predator, possessing a long neck and a broad body. Its diet probably consisted of fish and other small marine organisms.

The discovery and description of Otetavana have contributed to our understanding of the diversity and evolution of plesiosaurs in the Western Interior Seaway, a large inland sea that covered much of North America during the Cretaceous. Further research on its fossil remains continues to shed light on its anatomy, lifestyle, and phylogenetic relationships within the Plesiosauria. The exact ecological role and the full extent of its geographic distribution are areas that continue to be explored by paleontologists.