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The Triassic Seas
from the Dinosaur Collector update 080106
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Tanystropheus (Long Twisted ) was about 10 feet long, and lived in the Middle Triassic. Tanystropheus has been recently reinterpreted by Tracy Ford. Previously seen as a land animal that stuck its long neck like a fishing pole to catch shell fish, it now perceived as an aquatic animal. It can be seen as an early experiment with the plesiosaur body design
Tanystropheus from Carnigie Safari with bendy neck and on the right the Starlux version
The Sea going reptiles of the Triassic are alike enough to be grouped together. They are the Placodonts, Nothosaurs, Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs. Placodonts were the least specialized of the marine reptiles and live in the shallow coastal areas. They appear and disappear in the Triassic. Many developed turtle like shells. Placodus 6 1/2 feet long lived in the Early to Middle Triassic. The strong belly ribs and bony knobs provided protection. The teeth broad and flat were designed for munching shell fish. Henodus 3 feet long lived in the Late Triassic and was the same shape as a turtle.
Placodus from Starlux, Placodus and Henodus from Play Vision .
The Early to Late Triassic Nothosaurus (10 feet long) was an earlier smaller version of the plesiosaurs of the Jurassic seas. They may have lived a life similar to today’s seals. They represent the type of animals plesiosaurs developed from.
Above are Nothosaurus and Placodus from Play Vision and Nothosaurus from Starlux.
Ichthyosaurs are the most specialized of the marine reptiles. They evolve in the Early Triassic and begin to decline and then disappear in the Mid Cretaceous. Mixosaurus (3 feet long) lived in the Middle Triassic. It is intermediate in features between the early forms of ichthyosaurs and the more advanced types.
Mixosaurus from PlayVision ancient aquatic reptiles series.
Shonisaurus popularis 49 feet long lived in the Late Triassic. This off shoot of the main line of ichthyosaurs was the the largest known until a recent find in Canada and is still the largest ichthyosaur known from the United States. .
Shonisaurus from PlayVision ancient aquatic reptiles series.
Shonisaurus fossils from the Berlin Nevada are the best known and seem to represent the remains of a school of 36 animals. The site became the Berlin-Ichthyosaur Park in 1970.
Shonisaurus from the Schleich Replica Saurus series. Belemnite from the Bullyland Fossil collection.
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