Ichthyosaurus
From Conservapedia
Ichthyosaurus (“fish lizard”) was a prehistoric marine reptile, similar to a dolphin, that lived in the time of the dinosaurs. Fossils of it have been found in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Evolutionary scientists believe that the ichthyosaurus lived from 206 to 140 million years ago (the early Jurassic period to the early Cretaceous). It had a long snout filled with sharp, conical teeth, and fed on fish, squid, and other sea-dwelling creatures. Being air-breathers, they probably stayed close to the surface most of the time. Most of them were about six feet in length, but some grew to thirty feet, one species growing to fifty feet. They were fast swimmers, and gave birth to live young (this is known from fossils of females in the process of giving birth).
The first complete fossil remains were discovered in the early 19th century in England, by a young woman named Mary Anning. Some fossils found in Germany were so well preserved that their soft tissues could be seen. At least eight different genera of ichthyosaur have been identified, and over two dozen species.
See also
Sources
- The Complete Book of Dinosaurs, by Dougal Dixon, Anness Publishing, 2006
- The Dinosaur Encyclopedia, Igloo Books, 2006
