In the world's driest deserts ... the remains of a predatory marine creature from the Jurassic period have been discovered

Scientists have uncovered the remains of a predatory marine creature from the Jurassic period that resembles killer whales, in the world's driest deserts, in Chile.

Researchers at the University of Chile said the pleosaur was a reptile that lived about 160 million years ago and had a stronger bite than a Tyrannosaurus rex.

These fossils are the second oldest recorded for this type of organism in the Southern Hemisphere.

The vast Atacama desert in Chile was once largely submerged by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and now, with its sand and rocks, it is a barren desert that resembles the surface of the moon and has parts that have not been affected by rainwater for years.

The reptilian pleosaur dominated the region with its large head, elongated face, short neck, sharp teeth, hydrodynamic structure and fin-like limbs.

Scientists have found, in two sites of the Loa River basin near the city of Calama, which is famous for its excavations, the remains of the jaw, tooth and limb of these creatures that "environmentally resemble" killer whales.

The University of Chile paleontologist and lead researcher, Rodrigo Otero, said the discovery would help scientists fill gaps in the theory of evolution.

He added that the total length of the excavation is believed to be between six and seven meters.

The length of the skull is about a meter, and it has teeth that are approximately eight to 10 centimeters long.

The study was published in the Journal of Earth Sciences in South America in early September.

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