Monday, September 11, 2023

Ancient Sea Reptiles: Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More, Darren Naish, c. 2022.

A reminder: dinosaurs did not swim, they did not fly. They only roamed terra firma.

Ancient Sea Reptiles: Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More, Darren Naish, c. 2022.

A Smithsonian Book. The author: a paleontologist. British. 

Years: 252 - 66 million years ago.

Mesozoic: Age of Reptiles.

Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.

The Mesozoic marine reptiles occupied the roles filled today by seals, dolphins, and whales.

There were five main Mesozoic marine reptile groups:

  • shark-shaped ichthyosaurs;
  • the (mostly) long-necked plesiosaurs;
  • the crocodile-like thalattosuchians or sea crocs;
  • the giant swimming lizards known as mosasaurs;
  • the sea turtles;

They were not dinosaurs and they were not closely related to them.









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