Scientific name: Martinectes bonneri
Name means: “Martin’s swimmer”
Excavated: 1976 in South Dakota (skull) and Wyoming (body)
Length: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Width: 13 ft (3.9 m)
Skull: 3.22 ft long (98 cm)
New MOEH Addition, part 3
January 30, 2025
New MOEH Fossil, part 3
We are blessed and excited to have on the road another impressive full skeleton of a large marine reptile. Martinectes was a species of short-necked plesiosaurs in the Polycotylidae family, whose kind was created on the 5th Day of history. These marine reptiles are believed to have had impressive speeds and maneuverability due to their large, powerful flippers. Each flipper has five digits (fingers) with hyperphalangism, meaning they have a large number of phalanges (up to 18 bones) per digit. Their conical, interlocking teeth support the idea that their diet consisted primarily of fish and other soft bodied marine creatures.
Fossils of this created kind have been found in marine sediments in Australia, Canada, Eastern Europe, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, South America, and the United States. The global result of rapidly buried creatures in marine sediments can best be explained by a global cause – the global flood recorded in Genesis.
CTF’s Martinectes fossil represents two of the largest specimens ever discovered. Excavated in 1976, the skull (specimen KUVP 40001) was collected from the Pierre Shale at the Wallace Ranch in Fall River County, SD. The body (specimen KUVP 40002) was collected four miles away in the Pierre Shale at the Johnson Ranch in Niobrara County, WY. The fossils were later prepared at the labs of the University of Kansas and the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in a three-year collaborative effort. The specimens were originally identified as Trinacromerum bonneri in 1977, were reclassified as Dolichorhynchops bonneri in 1996, and then reclassified again as Martinectes bonneri in 2023 due to its much larger size and slight anatomical differences with all other Dolichorhynchops specimens. A 2017 study suggested that the body to which the skull belonged (KUVP 40001) may have reached 23 feet in length.
The genus name Martinectes is in honor of University of Kansas paleontologist Larry Martin (1943-2013). Though an evolutionist, Martin was a vocal opponent to the idea of dinosaurs evolving into birds. The species name bonneri is in honor of Marion Bonner (1911-1992), who spent 60 years collecting fossils in western Kansas. Again, we are blessed to have such an incredible specimen of aquatic engineering to display for the glory of our Creator God.
Here we are again, just a few days before Christmas. It seems the old adage, “The older you get the faster time flies,” is so true. There is not a year that passes when we look back and think, “Wow, this year took forever!” History is passing by and we look forward to the new year as we continue to focus on our eternal destiny. Our theme this year has been, HISTORY & DESTINY. Christmas is a great time to reflect on these two realities. Everyone has “Christmas history”, as I term it - those moments from past Christmases that are remembered year after year. Maybe it’s a great family gathering or Christmas activity that has become a beloved tradition. All of those moments are formed by previous years’ experiences. Sometimes this season can be tough, as we may have that memory of a loved one that has passed or other difficulties that we may be facing. Christmas history is always impactful, be it good or bad. This makes me reflect on the first Christmas. For Mary and Joseph, there was no previous history like that moment, per se. Yet, the history of the prior four thousand years had been preparing for the manger, the moment in history that our Savior would be born and begin Christmas history for all of us. Whether it is acknowledged or not, without Jesus’ birth in history, none of this season happens. Each and every Christmas our desire is to make those “Christmas history” memories for our family. Our desire is to impact the future of our family, our destiny. Often our efforts fall short or are interrupted by things out of our control. In those moments, so much stress can come from our efforts not going as planned. Sometimes it ends up ruining the whole season, especially if our focus has not been on the simple fact that He was born to bring peace, not stress. Let us not forget that it didn’t start the way Mary and Joseph had planned, with no room in the inn. But the Lord provided a place for them to rest and deliver the baby. Immanuel, God with us, is the bell ringing for all eternity that started that first Christmas. Our eternal destiny hinges on whether we acknowledge who He is everyday, not just in this season. Yet, this season is most assuredly a great time to emphasize His gift of life for all eternity. Our Creator became as one of His image bearers in that stable under imperfect conditions. He joined HISTORY and DESTINY that moment in time. The years of history that prepared the world for the child born that first Christmas would give us hope for all eternity. Jesus is the marker for all history. Because of that moment in time, our life can have peace for eternity through Him. May we all focus on the culmination of HISTORY & DESTINY during our family Christmas celebrations this year. Our history is written but our destiny is hope in Jesus Christ, our Creator and Savior. Blessings this season to you and your family from all of us here at Creation Truth Foundation!