In the prehistoric past, the center of North America has been underwater on several occasions. Perhaps the most well-known of these instances was during the late Cretaceous Period when North America was cut in half by the Western Interior Seaway… Read More ›
marine
Eternauta
Eternauta patagonica was an ichthyosaur which lived around Argentina during the late Jurassic Period 152-145 million years ago. Fossils of this Jurassic marine reptile, consisting of a well-preserved skull measuring nearly four feet long, a flipper, and fragments of ribs,… Read More ›
Catutosaurus
Catutosaurus, meaning “the lizard from Los Catutos”, was a small ichthyosaur which lived around Argentina during the late Jurassic Period 152-145 million years ago. Fossils of this animal were found in the Vaca Muerta (“Dead Cow”) Formation, and the exact… Read More ›
Nannopterygius
Nannopterygius, meaning “tiny fin”, was a genus of ichthyosaur which lived around Europe from the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous Period approximately 152-140 million years ago. There are currently six species assigned to this genus: Nannopterygius saveljeviensis. © Jason… Read More ›
Brachypterygius
Brachypterygius, meaning “short fin”, was an ichthyosaur which lived around England during the late Jurassic Period 155-150 million years ago. Fossils of this animal were found at Smallmouth Sands near the seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, England within the rock… Read More ›
Undorosaurus
Undorosaurus was a medium-sized ichthyosaur which lived in northern Europe during the late Jurassic Period 150-145 million years ago. Fossils of this animal have been found in Norway, Poland, and western Russia. In fact, it was named after the village… Read More ›
Onchopristis
Onchopristis was a 4 meter (13 foot) long sawfish which lived during the middle Cretaceous Period approximately 105-95 million years ago. Onchopristis belonged to the sub-order Sclerorhynchoidei of the order Rajiformes, “ray-shaped”. Despite a superficial resemblance to a modern-day sawfish,… Read More ›
Xiphactinus
There are many iconic predators of the Seven Seas: the Great White Shark, the Killer Whale, the Giant Squid, and others. In prehistoric times, the list of “epic marine killers” was much longer. One of those who definitely deserves a… Read More ›
Cladocyclus
Cladocyclus was a 4 foot long saltwater fish which lived around South America and Australia during the middle Cretaceous Period 110-100 million years ago. The famous Swiss ichthyologist Louis Agassiz coined the name Cladocyclus in 1841. The name, which means… Read More ›
Polyptychodon
Polyptychodon was a 23 foot long pliosaur which lived around North America, South America, and Europe during the middle Cretaceous Period 100-90 million years ago. The name Polyptychodon means “many-folded tooth” and refers to the ribbed surface on the teeth’s… Read More ›