Predator X (TV program)
Encyclopedia
Predator X is a 2009 television special on the cable television channel History. The show documents the excavation of a giant pliosaur
on an island in the Norwegian
Svalbard archipelago. The special follows Dr. Jørn Hurum
and a team of paleontologists from the University of Oslo
as they excavate the site.
The specimen — claimed by Hurum to be a new species — has not yet received a taxonomic classification and is, therefore, currently codenamed "Predator X
". The team initially called their discovery "The Monster", and the nickname has been used extensively by the media.
The initial discovery was made in 2006, as part of a find of dozens of pliosaur and plesiosaur
specimens. At nearly 15 m (49 ft) in length, "The Monster" is the largest pliosaur skeleton ever discovered, considerably larger than Kronosaurus
.
Pliosaur
Pliosauroidea is an extinct clade of marine reptiles. Pliosauroids, also commonly known as pliosaurs, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. The pliosauroids were short-necked plesiosaurs with large heads and massive toothed jaws. These swimming reptiles were not dinosaurs but distant...
on an island in the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Svalbard archipelago. The special follows Dr. Jørn Hurum
Jørn Hurum
Jørn Harald Hurum is a Norwegian paleontologist and popularizer of science. He is a vertebrate paleontologist and holds an Associate Professor position at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo. He has studied dinosaurs, primitive mammals and plesiosaurs.- Media :Hurum is known as a...
and a team of paleontologists from the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
as they excavate the site.
The specimen — claimed by Hurum to be a new species — has not yet received a taxonomic classification and is, therefore, currently codenamed "Predator X
Predator X
Predator X is a comic book character, in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. The character is an adversary of Marvel's mutant characters, including the X-Men.-History:...
". The team initially called their discovery "The Monster", and the nickname has been used extensively by the media.
The initial discovery was made in 2006, as part of a find of dozens of pliosaur and plesiosaur
Plesiosaur
Plesiosauroidea is an extinct clade of carnivorous plesiosaur marine reptiles. Plesiosauroids, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods...
specimens. At nearly 15 m (49 ft) in length, "The Monster" is the largest pliosaur skeleton ever discovered, considerably larger than Kronosaurus
Kronosaurus
Kronosaurus is an extinct genus of short-necked pliosaur. It was among the largest pliosaurs, and is named after the leader of the Greek Titans, Cronus.-Discovery and species:Kronosaurus lived in the Early Cretaceous Period ....
.