Science News Roundup: 'Weird,' sharp-nosed thalattosaur species identified from Alaska fossil

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

'Weird,' sharp-nosed thalattosaur species identified from Alaska fossil

An iguana-like creature with a needle-sharp snout has been confirmed from a fossilized skeleton as a species of the marine reptile thalattosaur previously unknown to science that roamed the coast of what is now Alaska some 200 million years ago. Dating from the Triassic period and identified from a lone fossil found the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the new creature has been named Gunakadeit joseeae, after a Native Tlingit name for a legendary sea monster, according to an article published on Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports.