Researchers from Marshall University have discovered and named a prehistoric sea creature.

Robin O’Keefe, Marshall biology professor, was the lead author of the study that led to the discovery of the new sea creature. The team of researchers worked with a multinational team including researchers from Chile and Canada.

The creature identified by O’Keefe and his team’s study has been officially named Traskasaura sandrae, a 39-foot long animal with an elongated neck and sharp teeth, capable of attacking its prey from above due to the size of its neck.

The team’s study was published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, a peer-reviewed journal affiliated with the British Natural History Museum. In their study, the team discussed their findings, including how the Traskasaura had a combination of both primitive and advanced features not seen in any other creature in its genus.

In a press release issued by Marshall University, O’Keefe said his team’s work solved a long-standing mystery about the creature’s identity. The first fossils of the creature were discovered in 1988 in British Columbia.

“Plesiosaur fossils have been known for decades in British Columbia,” O’Keefe said in the press release. “However, the identity of the animal that left the fossils has remained a mystery, even as it was declared BC’s provincial fossil 2023. Our new research published today finally solves this mystery.”