A team of researchers declared that they recently discovered a 70-million-year-old fossil of a rare species of marine reptile in Alaska in the Talkeetna Mountains. The University of Alaska Museum of the North identified the new fossils as Elasmosaur, which is a part of the species of plesiosaur.

As per researchers, plesiosaurs were part of a group of marine reptiles that lived in ancient oceans and seas almost 200 million years ago, in the Mesozoic period. The fossils were at first discovered by fossil collector, Curvin Metzler.

Researchers said they are very happy with the new discovery because it is the first plesiosaur ever discovered in Alaska. Researchers said that the discovery of these fossils have raised hopes for more fossils in the region.

Patrick Druckenmiller, researchers of the museum, said, "I was excited the first time Curvin showed me one of its bones. I recognized it as a vertebra from the base of the animal's neck and wanted to visit the site to see if we could find more".

According to information available, there were two morphological types, known as Plesiosauromorph and Pliosauromorph. The species discovered is known by its very long neck that measures more than 14 meters.

The reptile weighed more than 2,000 kilograms, which makes it among the heaviest and largest known plesiosaurs.

Druckenmiller, said that the reptile had resemblance to the mythical monster named Loch Ness and lived in the later years of Cretaceous period, some odd 70 million years ago. He has collected plesiosaurs from all over western North America and is one of the foremost marine reptile fossil experts in the world, Druckenmiller said.

Experts said plesiosaurs morph was a lazy animal and used to feed on small sea creatures.