Subcutaneous adipose tissue was likely responsible for streamlining the body of Mauriciosaurus, as is also seen in marine mammals.
The presence of subcutaneous fat may account for the thick layers of tissue that constitute the third type of preserved soft tissue in the type specimen.
On the tail, the small neural spines, haemal arches, and transverse processes suggest the hypaxial muscles of the tail were weak; the preserved cone of soft tissue around the tail thus plausibly represents contour fat, which served to stabilize the tail while continuing the outline of the torso onto the tail in a manner not unlike fat-tailed geckos and other geckos.
This forms a "drop-shaped" hydrodynamic body outline, with the thickest part of the body being located in the front third, and the torso and tail forming a single cohesive unit.

As inferred from the soft tissue preserved behind the flippers, each of the flippers in Mauriciosaurus was heavily muscled and bore a flexible trailing edge made of skin.
The trailing edge allowed each flipper to form a hydrofoil that would have enhanced locomotion, as has been previously hypothesized for plesiosaurs.
Given the immobile body and the neck stiffened by overlapping cervical ribs, the flippers would have been the only source of locomotion.
Overall, the anatomical features of Mauriciosaurus are reminiscent of contemporary sea turtles; in particular, the body outline of the leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, strongly resembles that of Mauriciosaurus.
D. coriacea swims at an average velocity of 7 kilometres per hour (4.3 mph), which is consistent with estimates of the swimming speeds of Mesozoic marine reptiles; however, Mauriciosaurus would have been capable of attaining higher speeds due to involving all four limbs in locomotion.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue was likely responsible for streamlining the body of Mauriciosaurus, as is also seen in marine mammals. The presence of subcutaneous fat may account for the thick layers of tissue that constitute the third type of preserved soft tissue in the type specimen. On the tail, the small neural spines, haemal arches, and transverse processes suggest the hypaxial muscles of the tail were weak; the preserved cone of soft tissue around the tail thus plausibly represents contour fat, which served to stabilize the tail while continuing the outline of the torso onto the tail in a manner not unlike fat-tailed geckos and other geckos. This forms a "drop-shaped" hydrodynamic body outline, with the thickest part of the body being located in the front third, and the torso and tail forming a single cohesive unit.
As inferred from the soft tissue preserved behind the flippers, each of the flippers in Mauriciosaurus was heavily muscled and bore a flexible trailing edge made of skin. The trailing edge allowed each flipper to form a hydrofoil that would have enhanced locomotion, as has been previously hypothesized for plesiosaurs. Given the immobile body and the neck stiffened by overlapping cervical ribs, the flippers would have been the only source of locomotion. Overall, the anatomical features of Mauriciosaurus are reminiscent of contemporary sea turtles; in particular, the body outline of the leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, strongly resembles that of Mauriciosaurus. D. coriacea swims at an average velocity of 7 kilometres per hour (4.3 mph), which is consistent with estimates of the swimming speeds of Mesozoic marine reptiles; however, Mauriciosaurus would have been capable of attaining higher speeds due to involving all four limbs in locomotion.
Mauriciosaurus