In 2023, Robert O. Clark, F. Robin O'Keefe, and Sara E. Slack describedUnktaheela specta as a new genus and species of polycotylid based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "Unktaheela", references Unhcegila, a legendary Lakota horned water serpent known for its keen eyes. The specific name "specta" is derived from the Latin word "spectare", meaning "to see," in reference to the hypothesized visual adaptations and morphology of the orbital.[1]
Description
Unktaheela was a very small polycotylid that, when mature, had some characteristics that might be expected of ontogenetically young individuals. The holotype skull is 44.4 centimetres (17.5 in) long, and the paratype skull is 43 centimetres (17 in) long. These lengths are smaller than any other known mature polycotylid skull, and are comparable to the size of juvenile skulls of Dolichorhynchops and Mauriciosaurus. Unktaheela was approximately 2.3–2.6 metres (7.5–8.5 ft) long. Adult individuals of other small polycotylids such as Dolichorhynchops and Scalamagnus were closer to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length. The skull of Unktaheela has unusually large orbits, a feature commonly associated with juvenile animals. However, many anatomical characteristics of the known specimens indicate that they belonged to fully grown individuals. For example, many bones are fused in the specimens that are typically unfused in juvenile plesiosaurs.
The humeri are wide, as opposed to the narrow form seen in juveniles. Unktaheela had at least 26 maxillary teeth. In comparison, adult individuals of Dolichorhynchops had at least 22, while juveniles have 13–14.[1]
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