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Ichthyosaurs
Click here for more Ichthyosaur Pictures
| 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.
Fossil Ichthyosaur, Argentina
Photographic Print
Perrine, Doug
Buy at AllPosters.com
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 Pictures and Posters
by AllPosters
Here are some Ichthyosaur pictures and posters:
(Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by AllPosters. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website).
Ichthyosaur Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
By Rena Korb
Magic Wagon
Library Binding (32 pages)
 | List Price: $28.50*
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*(As of 16:12 Pacific 3 Feb 2012 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
Nine-year-old Hong isn't going to let his trip to England's Jurassic Coast go to waste. About 200 million years ago, a large sea covered the land and Hong is sure it now contains some dinosaur fossils. He's right, and it leads to the discovery of the skeleton of a huge sea reptile called Ichthyosaurus! Special thanks to Content Consultant Kenneth Carpenter, Ph.D. Looking Glass Library is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades preK-4. |
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By David Rains Wallace
University of California Press
Paperback (320 pages)
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Click Here | Product Description:
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 S.R. Howe & H.S. Torrens
National Museums and Galleries of Wales
Paperback (32 pages)
 | Lowest Used Price: $9.75*
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By Susan Heinrichs Gray
Child's World
Library Binding (32 pages)
 | List Price: $27.07*
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By Dahl
Picture Window Books
Paperback (24 pages)
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Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.*
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Click Here | Product Description:
Provides information on the characteristics and life of the dinosaur known as Ichthyosaurus. |
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Academic Press
Hardcover (501 pages)
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Vertebrate evolution has led to the convergent appearance of many groups of originally terrestrial animals that now live in the sea. Among these groups are familiar mammals like whales, dolphins, and seals. There are also reptilian lineages (like plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, thalattosaurs, and others) that have become sea creatures. Most of these marine reptiles, often wrongly called "dinosaurs", are extinct. This edited book is devoted to these extinct groups of marine reptiles. These reptilian analogs represent useful models of the myriad adaptations that permit tetrapods to live in the ocean.
Key Features
* First book in more than 80 years devoted exclusively to fossil marine reptiles
* Documents the most current research on extinct marine reptiles
* Prepared by the world's most prominent experts in the field
* Well illustrated |
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By Christopher McGowan
Royal Ontario Museum
Unknown Binding (37 pages)
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By Alfred Sherwood. Romer
University of Wyoming
Paperback
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By Christopher McGowan
Royal Ontario Museum
Unknown Binding (30 pages)
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By Charles Lewis Camp
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology in cooperation with Nevada Division of State Parks and Nevada Natural History Association
Unknown Binding (33 pages)
| Lowest Used Price: $12.00*
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Click Here |
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