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- Index
- The Dinosaur Era
- Did Dinosaurs Live In The Antarctic?
- The Giants Within The Dinosaur Age
- Ruling The Skies
- Within The Seas

The Mesozoic Period is thought of to be the age of the giants. Large marine reptiles dominated the seas while the dinosaurs conquered the land. Fish reptiles, also known as Ichthyosaurs, made an earlier appearance than the dinosaurs. They were originally revealed in the Early Triassic Period. Their limbs were adapted into flippers making them very specialized.

Ichthyosaurs appeared to be similar to the dolphins that we see today by the time that the Jurassic period took place. Fossils that were discovered in Germany revealed their dorsal fin and a large vertical tail fluke. They would propel themselves through the water by using side to side movements as well as using their flippers to steer themselves.

During the late Triassic Period, Plesiosaurs began to arise. However, they started becoming more plentiful during the Middle and Late Jurassic Periods. They made use of their flippers in order to travel through the water. There were two ’basic’ types of Plesiosaurs in existence. The long-necked Plesiosaurs would feed upon small fish as well as other small prey. The second type, which was the large short-necked Plesiosaurs, were known to be the top predators of the Jurassic seas. The marine crocodiles were also some of the other inhabitants of the seas during the Middle-Late Jurassic Period.

Ammonites, which are a coiled type of very common fossil shells that were abundant in the Cretaceous Period, were discovered in Jurassic rocks. When they were living, these mollusks appeared as if a small squid had been crammed into a spiral shell. Although the mollusks moved at a slow speed, they were quite successful during the Jurassic Period. They were known to eat sea lilies (crinoids), this was made known from previous discoveries of fossil stomach contents.

Turtles made their appearance in the Upper Triassic Period. As everyone knows, they are still in existence. The earliest fossils were discovered in Germany. They already had a fully enclosed shell. The Cretaceous marine turtle was better known as an Archelon during this time. Their size had reached close to 4 meters. Their shells are formed by significantly expanded ribs, which provided for great protection. The marine forms would eat plants, marine invertebrates, and fish.

Around 550 million years ago, the ancestors of the current Horseshoe Crab developed gradually within the Early Cambrian Period. The horseshoe shape wasn’t developed until the Carboniferous Period. The actual horseshoe crabs didn’t make their appearance until the Late Jurassic Period. Fossils were discovered within the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria. The true crabs and lobster began to take over during the late Cretaceous Period. Only five species of the Horseshoe Crabs remain today, making them almost extinct by the comparison of their abundance within the past.

There are still new discoveries being made that refer back to the dinosaur age. Without the dedicated individuals devoting their lives to this, we would have never had the slightest clue as to what types of life used to flourish on Earth. The knowledge itself is priceless.