Happy 2014 everyone! The year is barely two weeks old, and I’ve already seen a bunch of new research about ancient marine creatures. Apparently, 2014 is a good year for studying the seas of the past.
For today’s post, let’s take a trip back in time, and make a few stops on the way to talk about some of the new science coming out on the old oceans.
Stop #1: The Dark Waters of the Mesozoic (and Paleogene)
Let me introduce you to three creatures that were swimming the seas a long time ago:
1. A fossil sea turtle from the Paleogene Period, 55 million years ago;
2. A fossil mosasaur, an aquatic relative of lizards, from the Late Cretaceous Period, 86 million years ago;
3. A fossil ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like reptile, from the Early Jurassic Period, 190 million years ago.
2. A fossil mosasaur, an aquatic relative of lizards, from the Late Cretaceous Period, 86 million years ago;
3. A fossil ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like reptile, from the Early Jurassic Period, 190 million years ago.