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Predator X
PLIOSAURS .
Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #4 (2025)
written by Benjamin Percy art by Marcelo Ferreira, Jay Leisten, & Frank D'Armata
Patreon request for rome.and.stuff (Instagram), and my first plesiosaur (well, first since I was like… 10)
Pliosaurus funkei!
Pliosaurs were a family of plesiosaurs that eventually lost their stereotypical long-necked, small-headed body plan. Resembling the mosasaurs that would come much later, pliosaurs had short necks with large, strong jaws, and fed on fish, cephalopods, and marine reptiles. The type genus, Pliosaurus, contains at least 6 species. The first and type species, P. brachydeirus, was described and named by Sir Richard Owen in 1841.
Between 2004 and 2012, a new species of Pliosaurus was in the process of being uncovered. Before it was formally described or even named, news of this giant sea monster escaped into the general media and it was dubbed “Predator X”.
This Predator X prompted a media frenzy… there were articles estimating its size based on the fragments found so far, a 2009 television special on the History channel, and a segment in the 2011 BBC documentary series “Planet Dinosaur.”
Predator X was reportedly the “most fearsome animal ever to swim in the oceans!”
When Pliosaurus funkei was finally formally described and named in 2012, it was found to be a bit smaller than the giant 15 meter long estimate being thrown around. However, it was still a very large animal, around 10–12 m (33–39 ft) long with a 2.0–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft) long skull. It also had very long flippers, probably to aid in maneuverability and speed. Analysis of Pliosaurus funkei’s skeleton show that it likely used its front flippers to cruise, only using its back flippers for quick bursts of speed when pursuing prey. Analysis of its brain case shows that its brain was proportional to that of a modern great white shark. So while it didn’t quite beat the Late Cretaceous 12–15.8 meter (39–52 ft) long mosasaur Tylosaurus, the Early Miocene to Late Pliocene 10.5-20.3 meter (34-67 ft) long shark Otodus megalodon, or even the modern day 11-16 meter (36-52 ft) long Physeter macrocephalus (Sperm Whale), it was still no doubt the apex predator of its time and environment.
Pliosaurus funkei lived in the last era of the Late Jurassic in the icy waters of Norway. Found in the Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation, it would have lived in a cold, shallow sea rife with methane seeps. These methane seeps supported a high amount of diversity, and the Slottsmøya was teeming with ammonites, bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods, tubeworms, echinoderms, cold water sponges, and more. Many icthyosaurs and plesiosaurs would have enjoyed feeding on the plentiful invertebrates here, as well as each other. Pliosaurus funkei would have likely fed on other plesiosaurs like Colymbosaurus, Djupedalia, Ophthalmothule, and Spitrasaurus, as well as icthyosaurs like Cryopterygius, Undorosaurus, Arthropterygius, Nannopterygius, and Brachypterygius.
PREDATOR X
THE LOOMING RAPTOR!
SMILING GATOR!
Yeyinde Ch 3 - Interlude
He grumbled. “There is no ‘plan,’ I just… I just couldn’t leave her there. Her own kind killed her whole clan. She had nowhere to go.”
“And that’s your problem because?” She tilted her head, looking down at him.
“It’s… sad.” He shrugged.
She softened and stopped bullying him. “You always were gentle,” she said kindly. Clicking her mandibles softly, she continued, “That’s why I tolerate your otherwise dumb behavior.” He laughed softly, amused and somewhat cheered up by her teasing comment. “Anyway, I guess she’ll just stay here with us. She said she wanted to go on hunts… but what type of prey could she accompany us on?” ”Hm. I’ll think about it.” Hashori took off down the hallway. Sighing, he walked into Ai’s room.
“Hi, ooman.” He clicked a friendly greeting.
She turned and smiled. “Oh, hi there, you.” She walked up to him. Hugging him momentarily, she asked, “Where have you been?” ”Trading… uh, skulls.”
“Human skulls?” ”Well, some of us were. But not me personally. I like my collection. I mean, uh —“
“Haha! Where is this collection? Let me see.” She insisted, so he took her to the communal living space. They were on display, nicely lit and professionally mounted.
“Wow, what year are some of these? Some of them look… really old.” She gingerly touched his oldest specimen. ”My father harvested that one. I always liked it, so he gave it to me a few years ago.” He clicked his mandibles, feeling soft.
“Oh. Wow. When did he harvest it?” ”It was from a group of oomans that lived in Zhongguo.”
“Where?” ”Uh.” He was at a loss.
“Well anyway, it looks old.” She backed up. “So… when is our first hunt?” He snorted. “So… fast to hunt, hn?” “My father was a hunter too. He taught me. I want to continue his tradition.” She puffed her chest out and threw her shoulders back, defiant.
He held back a laugh and carefully said, “Okay. There is a hunt soon. But I need… uh…” He clicked his mandibles thoughtfully. “Okay from another Yautja.”
“Hashori?” She questioned.
“No. An Elder. He leads this hunt.”
“Okay, I see. Well, in the meantime, can you teach me about your weapons?” ”W-weapons?” He didn’t know the word.
“Killing tools?” She tried.
“Ah. Yes. Alright.” He motioned for her to follow him. “We can start now.”
Have a pliosaur in these trying times.
