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Ichthyosaurs
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| Scientific Classification |
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Superorder |
Ichthyopterygia |
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Ichthyosaurs were large marine reptiles that lived through most of the
Mesozoic Era.
They seem to have evolved from a group of terrestrial reptiles
(a group which is still to be identified) during the early
Triassic period,
about 245 million years ago, initially looking rather like lizards with fins.
Ichthyosaurs continued to evolve during the
Triassic period,
and both dolphin-like and somewhat serpent-like forms existed, the latter sometimes
growing to huge sizes, as much as 50 feet (15 meters) in length.
By the early Jurassic period,
Ichthyosaurs had reached their peak of diversity, and a long slow decline in diversity
continued through the
Jurassic and into the
Cretaceous period.
The last Icthyosaurs finally became extinct during the middle to late
Cretaceous,
perhaps about 90 million years ago.
In outward physical form, Ichthyosaurs tend to resemble whales, dolphins or sharks. This
is a result of convergent evolution - sharks, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises),
and ichthyosaurs all evolved similar body shapes, because it is a good hydrodynamic
solution for swimming.
Fossilized ichthyosaur:
One difference between Ichthyosaurs and many other marine predators, is
that it is believed that Ichthyosaurs probably hunted by sight (rather
than for example echo-location). Part of the evidence for this is that
Ichthyosaurs generally had comparatively large eyes - one particular
genus of Ichthyosaur, namely Temnodontosaurus which lived in
Jurassic
Europe
and was about 30 feet (12 meters) long, had the largest eyes of any
known vertebrate - its eyes were 10 inches (26 centimeters) in diameter.
Another noteworthy fact about Ichthyosaurs is that at least some species,
perhaps even all species, seem to have given birth to live young. The
evidence for this is that
fossils have been found
of Ichthyosaurs containing fossils of babies within the abdomen. It has
been suggested that perhaps these babies were stomach contents and therefore
evidence of cannibalism, however it seems more likely that
these fossils show
a pregnant Ichthyosaur that died just before (or perhaps even during)
giving birth.
Fossil fragments of Ichthyosaurs have been known since at least 1699, however the
the first complete fossil specimen was found by
Mary Anning in 1811 in Lyme Regis,
England
(Mary Anning
subsequently discovered three species of Ichthyosaur).
A large number of other fossils were also found by a
1905
expedition to central
Nevada,
including a 55 foot (17 meter) Shonisaurus (a very large, late
Triassic
Ichthyosaur), which since
1977,
has been designated as
Nevada's
State Fossil.
Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles that lived between 245 and 90 million years ago
Related Information & Resources
See Also
Ichthyosaur Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
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By Dougal Dixon
words & pictures
Released: 2018-10-16
Hardcover (64 pages)
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A 2019 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students: K–12 (National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council).
From the moment life crawled out of the oceans and onto land, to when our primate ancestors climbed down from the trees, the history of Planet Earth is filled with incredible stories. This beautifully illustrated guide explores some of the most exciting and incredible events in evolution, through 13 case studies.
Step back in time and discover a world where whales once walked, crocodiles were warm-blooded, and snakes had legs! Meet terrifying giant birds, and tiny elephants living on islands in this fascinating creature guide like no other. Learn how whales once walked on four legs before taking to the oceans; how dinosaurs evolved into birds; and how the first cats were small and lived in trees.
Featuring a stunning mix of annotated illustrations, illustrated scenes, and family trees, evolution is explained here in a captivating and novel style that  will make children look at animals in a whole new way. |
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By Josh Gregory
Cherry Lake Publishing
Released: 2013-12-10
Kindle Edition (24 pages)
 | | Product Description:
This book details the life of the dinosaur known as Ichthyosaur. Readers will develop word recognition and reading skills while learning when Ichthyosaur lived and what it likely looked like. They will also find out how it lived, from what it ate to how it dealt with enemies. Additional text features and search tools, including a glossary and an index, help students locate information and learn new words. |
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By David Rains Wallace
University of California Press
Paperback (320 pages)
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Neptune's Ark illuminates the dramatic saga of evolution spanning 500 million years of marine life along the magnificent Pacific coast of western North America. In an engaging narrative that artfully blends elements of science, history, folklore, and personal observation, renowned naturalist David Rains Wallace reveals a marvelous diversity of creatures, not only modern ones, but those from the far prehistoric past. Mysterious forms have abounded―from giant sea cows, oyster bears, and flightless toothed birds to the orcas, elephant seals, and sea otters of modern times. Wallace tells a story about evolution as well as a tale of the storms, scurvy, and shipwrecks that plagued the coast's explorers, naturalists, and scientists, many of whom led turbulent or tragic lives, with themes reflected in the wonder and danger of the coast itself. Neptune's Ark is full of vivid characters―from explorers like Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook, to pioneer naturalists including Georg Steller and Charles Scammon, to early paleontologists Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope, and to recent scientists and ecological visionaries. |
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By Olivier Rieppel
Indiana University Press
Released: 2019-05-01
Hardcover
 | List Price: $75.00*
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Told in rich detail and with gorgeous color recreations, this is the story of marine life in the age before the dinosaurs. During the Middle Triassic Period (247–237 million years ago), the mountain of Monte San Giorgio in Switzerland was a tropical lagoon. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it boasts an astonishing fossil record of marine life from that time. Attracted to an incredibly diverse and well-preserved set of fossils, Swiss and Italian paleontologists have been excavating the mountain since 1850.
Synthesizing and interpreting over a century of discoveries through a critical twenty-first century lens, paleontologist Olivier Rieppel tells for the first time the complete story of the fish and marine reptiles who made that long-ago lagoon their home. Through careful analysis and vividly rendered recreations, he offers memorable glimpses of not only what Thalattosaurs, Protorosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Pachypleurosaurs, and other marine life looked like but how they moved and lived in the lagoon.
An invaluable resource for specialists and accessible to all, this book is essential to all who are fascinated with ancient marine life. |
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By Susan H. Gray
The Child's World, Inc.
Released: 2014-01-01
Kindle Edition (32 pages)
 | | Product Description:
Neither fish nor lizards, ichthyosaurs swam ancient seas for nearly 150 million years. This title reveals how more than 80 species of these dolphinlike reptiles commanded Earth's prehistoric waters at the same time dinosaurs walked on land. |
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By Don Lessem
Millbrook Press TM
Released: 2013-08-01
Kindle Edition (32 pages)
 | | Product Description:
"Dino" Don Lessem brings readers face-to-face with various dinosaur species, detailing their habitats, way of life and how they became extinct. An acclaimed dinosaur expert, Don Lessem has written more than 30 children's books, writes a popular dinosaur column in Highlights magazine, and was an adviser for Jurassic Park. Take a trip through dinosaur time to meet these sea giants face-to-face: The Archelon was similar to a turtle, but its shell was made of crossed rib bone covered in rubbery skin! The Mososaurs had huge pointy jaws and grew to be fifty feet long! The Ichthyosaurs looked a lot like dolphins! Plus, you'll get to know Opthalmosaurus, Kronosaurus, Shonisaurus, Plesiosaurs and Teleosaurus! |
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By Michael Dahl
Brand: Picture Window Books
Library Binding (24 pages)
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Provides information on the characteristics and life of the dinosaur known as Ichthyosaurus. |
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By John Glendening
Routledge
Hardcover (272 pages)
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Criticism about the neo-Victorian novel ― a genre of historical fiction that re-imagines aspects of the Victorian world from present-day perspectives ― has expanded rapidly in the last fifteen years but given little attention to the engagement between science and religion. Of great interest to Victorians, this subject often appears in neo-Victorian novels including those by such well-known authors as John Fowles, A. S. Byatt, Graham Swift, and Mathew Kneale. This book discusses novels in which nineteenth-century science, including geology, paleontology, and evolutionary theory, interacts with religion through accommodations, conflicts, and crises of faith. In general, these texts abandon conventional religion but retain the ethical connectedness and celebration of life associated with spirituality at its best. Registering the growth of nineteenth-century secularism and drawing on aspects of the romantic tradition and ecological thinking, they honor the natural world without imagining that it exists for humans or functions in reference to human values. In particular, they enact a form of wonderment: the capacity of the mind to make sense of, creatively adapt, and enjoy the world out of which it has evolved ― in short, to endow it with meaning. Protagonists who come to experience reality in this expansive way release themselves from self-anxiety and alienation. In this book, Glendening shows how, by intermixing past and present, fact and fiction, neo-Victorian narratives, with a few instructive exceptions, manifest this pattern. |
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By Franko Maps Ltd.
Franko Maps Ltd.
Map (2 pages)
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This detailed guide was developed in association with the Park. Berlin-Ichthyosaur is home to North America's largest concentration of Ichthyosaur (large marine reptiles) remains, and the historic ghost town of Berlin and Union, Nevada. Side 1 features a trail map of the park along with photos and text describing points of interest. Side 2 has historical notes about Berlin and vintage photos plus charts of features in the town. The map is 18.5" x 26", printed two sides, folded to a handy 4" x 9" and printed on waterproof, tear-resistant material. |
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By Richard Ellis
Brand: University Press of Kansas
Hardcover (312 pages)
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Working from the fossil record, Richard Ellis explores the natural history of these fierce predators, speculates on their habits, and tells how they eventually became extinct - or did they? He traces the 200-million-year history of the great ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs who swam the ancient oceans - and who, according to some, may even still frequent the likes of Loch Ness.
The first book about these animals in nearly a century, Sea Dragons draws upon the most recent scientific research to reconstruct their lives and habitats. Along the way, the book also provides insights into and tales about the work, discoveries, and competing theories that compose the world of vertebrate paleontology. |
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