Swimming dinosaurs: types, description, origin. Sea dinosaurs: existing fictional animals Dinosaurs water world

Thanks to the finds recent years study of sea lizards of the Mesozoic, for a long time remaining in the shadow of their distant terrestrial relatives - dinosaurs - is experiencing a real renaissance. Now we can quite confidently reconstruct the appearance and habits of giant aquatic reptiles - ichthyosaurs, pliosaurs, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.

The skeletons of aquatic reptiles became known to science among the first, playing important role in the development of the theory of biological evolution. The massive jaws of a mosasaurus, found in 1764 in a quarry near the Dutch city of Maastricht, clearly confirmed the fact of the extinction of animals, which was a radically new idea at that time. And in early XIX centuries, discoveries of skeletons of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs made by Mary Anning in southwestern England provided rich material for research in the still emerging field of the science of extinct animals - paleontology.

In our time marine species reptiles - saltwater crocodiles, sea snakes and turtles, and Galapagos iguana lizards - make up only a small proportion of the reptiles living on the planet. But in the Mesozoic era (251-65 million years ago) their number was incomparably greater. This was apparently facilitated warm climate, allowing those unable to maintain constant temperature Animals' bodies feel great in water, an environment with high heat capacity. In those times sea ​​lizards plied the seas from pole to pole, occupying the ecological niches of modern whales, dolphins, seals and sharks. For more than 190 million years, they formed a “caste” of top predators that hunted not only fish and cephalopods, but also at each other.

Back in the water

Like aquatic mammals- whales, dolphins and pinnipeds, sea lizards descended from air-breathing land-based ancestors: 300 million years ago, it was reptiles that conquered land, managing, thanks to the emergence of eggs protected by a leathery shell (unlike frogs and fish), to move from reproduction in water to reproduction outside aquatic environment. Nevertheless, for one reason or another, now one or another group of reptiles in different periods again “trying my luck” in the water. It is not yet possible to accurately indicate these reasons, but, as a rule, the development of a new niche by a species is explained by its unoccupied position, the availability of food resources and the absence of predators.

The real invasion of lizards into the ocean began after the largest Permian-Triassic extinction event in the history of our planet (250 million years ago). Experts are still arguing about the causes of this disaster. Various versions have been put forward: the fall of a large meteorite, intense volcanic activity, a massive release of methane hydrate and carbon dioxide. One thing is clear - in an extremely short period of time, by geological standards, from all the diversity of species of living organisms, one cannot become a victim. environmental disaster Only one in twenty succeeded. Empty warm seas provided the “colonizers” with great opportunities, and that is probably why in Mesozoic era Several groups of marine reptiles arose at once. Four of them were truly unparalleled in number, diversity and distribution. Each group - ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, their relatives the pliosaurs, and mosasaurs - consisted of predators that occupied the top of the food pyramids. And each of the groups gave birth to colossi of truly monstrous proportions.

The most important factor that determined the successful development of the aquatic environment by Mesozoic reptiles was the transition to viviparity. Instead of laying eggs, females gave birth to fully formed and fairly large young, thereby increasing their chances of survival. Thus, life cycle the reptiles in question here were now completely in the water, and the last thread connecting the sea lizards with the land was torn. Subsequently, apparently, it was this evolutionary acquisition that allowed them to leave shallow waters and conquer the open sea. Not having to go ashore removed size restrictions, and some marine reptiles took advantage of gigantism. Growing up big isn't easy, but once you've grown up, try to beat him. He will offend anyone himself.

Ichthyosaurs - bigger, deeper, faster

The ancestors of fish lizards-ichthyosaurs, who mastered aquatic environment about 245 million years ago, they were small inhabitants of shallow waters. Their body was not barrel-shaped, like those of their descendants, but elongated, and its bending played an important role in movement. However, within 40 million years appearance ichthyosaurs changed significantly. The initially elongated body became more compact and ideally streamlined, and the caudal fin with a large lower blade and a small upper one in most species was transformed into almost symmetrical.

ABOUT family ties Paleontologists can only guess about ichthyosaurs. It is believed that this group separated very early from the evolutionary trunk, which later gave rise to such branches of reptiles as lizards and snakes, as well as crocodiles, dinosaurs and birds. One of the main problems still remains the lack of a transitional link between the terrestrial ancestors of ichthyosaurs and primitive marine forms. First known to science fish lizards are already completely aquatic organisms. It is difficult to say what their ancestor was.

The length of most ichthyosaurs did not exceed 2–4 meters. However, among them there were also giants, reaching 21 meters. Such giants included, for example, Shonisaurs, who lived at the end of the Triassic period, about 210 million years ago. These are some of the largest marine animals that have ever lived in the oceans of our planet. In addition to their enormous size, these ichthyosaurs were distinguished by a very long skull with narrow jaws. To imagine a shonisaurus, as one American paleontologist joked, you need to inflate a huge rubber dolphin and greatly stretch its face and fins. The most interesting thing is that only the young had teeth, while the gums of the adult reptiles were toothless. You may ask: how did such colossi eat? To this we can answer: if Shonisaurs were smaller, then one could assume that they chased prey and swallowed it whole, as do swordfish and its relatives - marlin and sailfish. However, twenty-meter giants could not be fast. Perhaps they fed themselves with small schooling fish or squid. There is also an assumption that adult shonisaurs used a filtration apparatus like a whalebone, which allowed them to strain plankton from the water. Back to top Jurassic period(200 million years ago), species of ichthyosaurs appeared in the seas, relying on speed. They deftly pursued fish and swift belemnites - extinct relatives of squids and cuttlefish. According to modern calculations, the three- to four-meter ichthyosaur stenopterygius developed a cruising speed no less than one of the most fast fish, tuna (dolphins swim twice as slow) - almost 80 km/h or 20 m/s! In water! The main propellant of such record holders was a powerful tail with vertical blades, like those of fish.

In the Jurassic period, which became the golden age of ichthyosaurs, these lizards were the most numerous marine reptiles. Some species of ichthyosaurs could dive to depths of up to half a kilometer or more in search of prey. These reptiles could distinguish moving objects at such a depth due to the size of their eyes. So, the diameter of the eye of Temnodontosaurus was 26 centimeters! More (up to 30 centimeters) - only giant squid. The eyes of ichthyosaurs were protected from deformation during rapid movement or at great depth by a peculiar eye skeleton - supporting rings consisting of more than a dozen bone plates developing in the shell of the eye - the sclera.

The elongated muzzle, narrow jaws and shape of the teeth of fish lizards indicate that they ate, as already mentioned, relatively small animals: fish and cephalopods. Some species of ichthyosaurs had sharp, conical teeth that were good for grabbing nimble, slippery prey. In contrast, other ichthyosaurs had broad teeth with blunt or rounded tips to crush the shells of cephalopods such as ammonites and nautilids. However, not so long ago, the skeleton of a pregnant female ichthyosaur was discovered, inside which, in addition to fish bones, they found the bones of young sea turtles and, most surprisingly, the bone of an ancient seabird. There is also a report of the discovery of remains of a pterosaur (flying lizard) in the belly of a fish lizard. This means that the diet of ichthyosaurs was much more diverse than previously thought. Moreover, one of the species of early fish lizards discovered this year, which lived in the Triassic (about 240 million years ago), has rhombic edges on cross section The teeth were serrated, which indicates its ability to tear off pieces of prey. Dangerous enemies such a monster, which reached a length of 15 meters, practically did not have it. However, for unknown reasons, this branch of evolution stopped in the second half Cretaceous period, about 90 million years ago.

In the shallow seas of the Triassic period (240–210 million years ago), another group of reptiles flourished - the nothosaurs. In their lifestyle, they most closely resembled modern seals, spending part of their time on the shore. Nothosaurs were characterized by an elongated neck, and they swam with the help of a tail and webbed feet. Gradually, some of them replaced their paws with fins, which were used as oars, and the more powerful they were, the more the role of the tail weakened.

Nothosaurs are considered the ancestors of plesiosaurs, which the reader knows well from the legend of the monster from Loch Ness. The first plesiosaurs appeared in the mid-Triassic (240–230 million years ago), but their heyday began at the beginning of the Jurassic period, that is, about 200 million years ago.

At the same time, pliosaurs appeared. These marine reptiles were closely related, but they looked different. Representatives of both groups - a unique case among aquatic animals - moved with the help of two pairs of large paddle-shaped fins, and their movements were probably not unidirectional, but multidirectional: when the front fins moved down, the rear fins moved up. It can also be assumed that only the front fin blades were used more often - this saved more energy. The rear ones were connected to work only during throws for prey or rescue from more large predators.

Plesiosaurs are easily recognized by their very long necks. For example, in Elasmosaurus it consisted of 72 vertebrae! Scientists even know skeletons whose necks are longer than the body and tail combined. And, apparently, it was the neck that was their advantage. Even if plesiosaurs were not the most fast swimmers, but the most maneuverable. By the way, with their disappearance, long-necked animals no longer appeared in the sea. And one more interesting fact: the skeletons of some plesiosaurs were found not in marine, but in estuarine (where rivers flowed into the seas) and even freshwater sedimentary rocks. Thus, it is clear that this group did not live exclusively in the seas. For a long time, it was believed that plesiosaurs fed mainly on fish and cephalopods (belemnites and ammonites). The lizard slowly and imperceptibly swam up to the flock from below and, thanks to its extremely long neck, snatched the prey, clearly visible against the background of the light sky, before the flock rushed to its heels. But today it is obvious that the diet of these reptiles was richer. The found skeletons of plesiosaurs often contain smooth stones, probably specially swallowed by the lizard. Experts suggest that it was not ballast, as previously thought, but real millstones. The muscular section of the animal’s stomach, contracting, moved these stones, and they crushed the strong shells of mollusks and crustacean shells that had fallen into the womb of the plesiosaur. Skeletons of plesiosaurs with remains of bottom invertebrates indicate that in addition to species that specialized in hunting in the water column, there were also those that preferred to swim near the surface and collect prey from the bottom. It is also possible that some plesiosaurs could switch from one type of food to another depending on its availability, because a long neck is an excellent “fishing rod” with which it was possible to “catch” a wide variety of prey. It is worth adding that the neck of these predators was a rather rigid structure, and they could not sharply bend or lift it out of the water. This, by the way, casts doubt on many stories about the Loch Ness monster, when eyewitnesses report that they saw exactly a long neck sticking out of the water. The largest of the plesiosaurs is the New Zealand Mauisaurus, which reached 20 meters in length, almost half of which was a giant neck.

The first pliosaurs, which lived in the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods (about 205 million years ago), closely resembled their plesiosaur relatives, initially misleading paleontologists. Their heads were relatively small, and their necks were quite long. Nevertheless, by the middle of the Jurassic period, the differences became very significant: the main trend in their evolution was an increase in the size of the head and the power of the jaws. The neck, accordingly, became short. And if plesiosaurs hunted mainly for fish and cephalopods, then adult pliosaurs chased other marine reptiles, including plesiosaurs. By the way, they didn’t disdain carrion either.

The largest of the first pliosaurs was the seven-meter Romaleosaurus, but its size, including the size of its meter-long jaws, pales in comparison with the monsters that appeared later. The oceans of the second half of the Jurassic period (160 million years ago) were ruled by Liopleurodons - monsters that may have reached 12 meters in length. Later, in the Cretaceous period (100–90 million years ago), colossi of similar sizes lived - Kronosaurus and Brachauchenius. However, the largest pliosaurs were the Late Jurassic period.

Liopleurodons, which inhabited the depths of the sea 160 million years ago, could move quickly with the help of large flippers, which they flapped like wings.

Even more?!

IN Lately paleontologists are incredibly lucky to make sensational finds. So, two years ago, a Norwegian expedition led by Dr. Jorn Hurum extracted from permafrost on the island of Spitsbergen, fragments of the skeleton of a giant pliosaur. Its length was calculated from one of the skull bones. It turned out - 15 meters! And last year, in the Jurassic sediments of Dorset County in England, scientists had another success. On one of the beaches of Weymouth Bay, local fossil collector Kevin Sheehan dug up an almost completely preserved huge skull measuring 2 meters 40 centimeters! The length of this sea ​​dragon"could be as much as 16 meters! Almost the same length was the juvenile pliosaur found in 2002 in Mexico and named the Monster of Aramberri.

But that's not all. The Natural History Museum at Oxford University houses a gigantic lower jaw of a macromerus pliosaur measuring 2 meters 87 centimeters! The bone is damaged, and it is believed that its total length was no less than three meters. Thus, its owner could reach 18 meters. Truly imperial sizes.

But pliosaurs were not just huge, they were real monsters. If anyone posed a threat to them, it was themselves. Yes, the huge, whale-like Shonisaurus ichthyosaur and the long-necked Mauisaurus plesiosaur were longer. But the colossal pliosaur predators were ideal “killing machines” and had no equal. Three-meter fins quickly carried the monster towards the target. Powerful jaws with a palisade of huge teeth the size of bananas crushed bones and tore the flesh of victims, regardless of their size. They were truly invincible, and if anyone can be compared with them in power, it was the fossil megalodon shark. Tyrannosaurus rex next to giant pliosaurs looks like a pony in front of a Dutch draft horse. Taking a modern crocodile for comparison, paleontologists calculated the pressure that the huge pliosaur’s jaws developed at the time of the bite: it turned out to be about 15 tons. Scientists got an idea of ​​the power and appetite of the eleven-meter Kronosaurus, who lived 100 million years ago, by “looking” into its belly. There they found the bones of a plesiosaur.

Throughout the Jurassic and much of the Cretaceous period, plesiosaurs and pliosaurs were the dominant ocean predators, although it should not be forgotten that there were always sharks nearby. One way or another, large pliosaurs went extinct about 90 million years ago for unclear reasons. However, as you know, a holy place is never empty. They were replaced in the seas of the late Cretaceous by giants that could compete with the most powerful of the pliosaurs. We are talking about mosasaurs.

Mosasaurus to mosasaurus - lunch

The group of mosasaurs, which replaced and perhaps supplanted the pliosaurs and plesiosaurs, arose from an evolutionary branch close to monitor lizards and snakes. In mosasaurs that completely switched to life in water and became viviparous, their paws were replaced by fins, but the main mover was a long, flattened tail, and in some species it ended in a fin like a shark’s. It can be noted that, judging by the pathological changes found in the fossilized bones, some mosasaurs were able to dive deeply and, like all extreme divers, suffered from the consequences of such dives. Some species of mosasaurs fed on benthic organisms, crushing mollusk shells with short, wide teeth with rounded tops. However, the conical and slightly bent back terrible teeth of most species leave no doubt about food preferences their owners. They hunted fish, including sharks, and cephalopods, crushed turtle shells, swallowed seabirds and even flying lizards, and tore apart other marine reptiles and each other. Thus, half-digested plesiosaur bones were found inside a nine-meter-long tylosaur.

The design of the skull of mosasaurs allowed them to swallow whole even very big catch: like snakes, their lower jaw was equipped with additional joints, and some bones of the skull were articulated movably. As a result, the open mouth was truly monstrous in size. Moreover, two additional rows of teeth grew on the roof of the mouth, making it possible to hold prey more firmly. However, we should not forget that mosasaurs were also hunted. The five-meter-long Tylosaurus found by paleontologists had a crushed skull. The only one who could do this was another, larger mosasaurus.

Over 20 million years, mosasaurs rapidly evolved, giving rise to giants comparable in mass and size to monsters from other groups of marine reptiles. Towards the end of the Cretaceous period, during the next great extinction, giant sea lizards disappeared along with dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Possible reasons a new environmental disaster could be the impact of a huge meteorite and (or) increased volcanic activity.

The first to disappear, even before the Cretaceous extinction, were the pliosaurs, and somewhat later the plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. It is believed that this happened due to a violation food chains. The domino principle worked: the extinction of some massive groups of unicellular algae led to the disappearance of those who fed on them - crustaceans, and, as a consequence, fish and cephalopods. Marine reptiles were at the top of this pyramid. The extinction of mosasaurs, for example, could be a consequence of the extinction of ammonites, which formed the basis of their diet. However, there is no final clarity on this issue. For example, two other groups of predators, sharks and bony fish, which also fed on ammonites, survived the Late Cretaceous extinction event with relatively few losses.

Be that as it may, but the era sea ​​monsters ended. And only after 10 million years will they appear again sea ​​giants, but no longer lizards, but mammals - descendants of the wolf-like Pakicetus, which was the first to master the coastal shallow waters. Modern whales trace their ancestry from him. However, that's another story. Our magazine talked about this in the first issue of 2010.

Do you want to know what types of dinosaurs learned to swim underwater?

Most of the huge swimming monsters we know about are called marine reptiles, not dinosaurs. These huge creatures lived in the seas and oceans at the same time that dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

The most famous marine predator is Spinosaurus.

It was the largest sea predatory dinosaur, which we know about. Scientists think that he could live both on land and in water. He could dive underwater and swim, as his limbs had membranes in the shape of the fins of modern drivers. He probably hunted sharks and big fish.

Spinosaurus is the only dinosaur that we have ever learned about. most your life in the water. Another marine dinosaur, Ceratosaurus, could probably swim and hunt crocodiles and large fish underwater.

Swimming reptiles

Spinosaurus wasn't the only one large dinosaur living in the water!

The sea was teeming with large and ferocious reptiles of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of them:

Nothosaurus Nobu Tamura

The first large ocean reptiles were Nechosaurus, which means "false reptile". They lived in Triassic probably led a lifestyle similar to that of modern seals. There are about a dozen different species, but the most famous of them is Nothosaurus. This animal was about 4 meters (13 feet), with long, webbed toes and may have had a tail.

These reptiles replaced the plesiosaurs that appeared in the early Jurassic period. Most had long necks and small heads, ranging in size from 2.5 meters (8 feet) to 14 meters (46 feet) in length.

Pliosaur

The largest of them was the Pliosaurus. This animal had teeth more than 30 centimeters (12 in) long, and the pressure of its jaws was four times more powerful than that of Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is 15 meters (49 ft) long.

Another underwater plesiosaur is the long-eyed Elamosaurus.

Elamosaurus

It had four fins and grew to be about 14 meters (46 ft) long. It was a very slow swimmer and probably tracked large schools of fish while hunting.

Their necks were so long that they could not lift their heads above the water.

Why didn't all dinosaurs know how to swim?

The word "dinosaur" has a very specific meaning.

Science uses the term "dinosaur" to describe a certain type of creature (such as Spinosaurus), but this name does not include marine reptiles or so-called "flying dinosaurs."

One of the reasons for the different classification is different kind their limbs. Dinosaurs had limbs that were located on the ventral part of their bodies, and marine reptiles had limbs that grew on the sides.

The hero of many frightening films, the sinister and carnivorous pteranodon, in real life(just like pterodactyls and rhamforins) ate mainly fish, paying little attention to people. True, it should be taken into account that there were no people then. If he lived in our time, he would pose a considerable danger, since with a 15-meter wingspan and a weighty beak, he can kill purely by accident, with one sneeze, while trying to take a can of delicious sprats from a person.

It is similar to a Tyrannosaurus rex and is often replaced in many films when the Tyrannosaurus is unavailable or sick (for example, in the film "A Sound of Thunder"). It is believed to have reached 8 and a half meters in length and 3 and a half meters in height. Scientists are debating whether Allosaurus was a collective animal or lived separately, outside the pack. There are two arguments here: on the one hand, allosaurus bones are found in bulk from many individuals. On the other hand, the creature was too aggressive for cohabitation in a large society. However, to devour a person, even one Allosaurus, even the most recent outcast loser, is enough.

Known to science for a long time, since the nineteenth century. It weighed one and a half tons and was nine meters long. He ate other smaller lizards. There was something akin to a horn on the head, so Majungasaurus worked not only with its teeth, but also with its head. It is believed that he had poor vision, but had a strong sense of smell. So in modern times it could be used to find drugs and eat drug lords.

It is not clear why this creature was called Sarcosuchus. They would immediately call “ huge crocodile", and it would immediately be clear who we are talking about. The great-great-great-grandfather of the crocodile Gena grew up to 12 meters and fattened up to 6 tons. It is twice the size of any modern crocodile; if a sarcosuchus crosses the road, this is a very, very bad omen.

A four-ton predator 12 meters long. Scientists on the sidelines say that a more massive species of carchadontosaurs could live in Nigeria - 14 meters long and weighing 9 tons. He was a lone hunter, and he was probably pretty good at it. Most likely, he simply died out of boredom when he realized that he had already achieved everything in this life.

A bona fide showbiz superstar, ol' T. rex is no longer actually considered the world's largest fossil. land predator. They still make films about it, write books and tell stories, since it was the tyrannosaurus in the old school programs portrayed as the main embodiment of evil. And yet paleontology does not stand still!

However, if the T. rex saw you, it wouldn’t stand still either - its pumped up hind legs carried a two-ton mass at breakneck speed, and its jaws could bite through the body armor of most herbivorous lizards. What can we say about you? You won’t even hear him approaching in your headphones.

A seven-meter mobile school predator. The brain cavity in the cranium is closer in volume to birds than to other predatory lizards. Hence the logical conclusion of paleontologists that Utahraptor could have been more cunning and smarter than a typical dinosaur. But still, the Utahraptor was hardly such an insidious intellectual as Hollywood scriptwriters imagine it to be in a narcotic stupor - after all, birds are also different, compare the behavior of city sparrows and these hillbilly hens at your leisure.

In movies, Utahraptors are not as frequent guests as Velociraptors, which is strange, since Utahraptor is four times larger and just as many times more dangerous (according to police reports).

The largest complete skeleton of this African resident, after measurement, showed a length of 12 meters. However, there is good evidence to suggest the existence of specimens as long as 18 meters in length, so Spinosaurus may well be in contention for the top spot on this list. The Spinosaurus is an extremely unpleasant creature in appearance, according to the identikit. True, some paleontologists offer an alternative vision, even more unpleasant - with a hump and trunk - since, according to their version, he ate mainly fish. Check this at your first meeting.

Let's say right away that the most popular pliosaur among the people is Liopleurodon. You also need to know the fact that pliosaurs are the largest predators that have ever lived on our planet, since 20 meters is quite an accessible size for them. The flippers alone grew up to 3 meters, and the teeth - up to 40 centimeters. Thank God Poseidon that pliosaurs, sea creatures, did not swim into cities.

Paleontologists once found an 18-meter pliosaur skeleton in Mexico. It would seem like a harsh, formidable creature! But the thing is that on these bones they found damage caused by the teeth of another, even larger pliosaur, about 25 meters away!

A close relative of Allosaurus (they still talk on the phone). It was first described in the scientific literature in 1995, i.e. two years after the release of Spielberg's Jurassic Park. That’s why I didn’t have time to pass the casting. But he played main role in half a dozen console games.

Giganotosaurs may have lived in packs. The length of their body reached 15 meters in moments of inspiration - this is almost like four Lada Kalina cars. I wonder how long he would digest them? The Giganotosaurus skull is 40 centimeters larger than the Tyrannosaurus rex skull! So in the event of a face-to-face meeting, the outcome would be clear. Another thing is that in time these two lizards missed each other by about 30 million years.

If giant lizards overrun the Earth again, Russians have a relatively high chance of surviving due to the cold climate (although Sochi and Crimea will have to be surrendered, yes). However, in the case of the Giganotosaurus, everything is much worse: scientists suggest that it could have been warm-blooded and could well have been covered with hair or feathers. So he is able to reach Moscow.

For the first time, the remains of this lizard were found in England and described
English zoologist and paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841.
Pliosaurs were among the largest aquatic predators
thanks to the excellent strength of the skulls they could ram their prey,
which stunned her and made her helpless.

They hunted alone from birth. The birth of new
dinosaurs took place in the water. They were not picky about food,
They ate absolutely everything they saw. Thanks to its size
and strength they won in any battle. Natural enemies they don't have
was, so they attacked first, even though
other saurians were their relatives. They also often attacked
pterosaurs entering the water, this is evidenced by the fact that in
in the stomachs of preserved pliosaur remains, paleontologists
fossilized bodies of these winged dinosaurs were found.
Body structure
The tail was short and the body was long and narrow, allowing
move quickly in the water and without any effort catch up with any
sacrifice. In general, the body, if you do not take into account the fins, is very
looks like a crocodile.

Ichthyosaur

Scientists have proven that the very first dinosaur that returned to
water, became an ichthyosaur. Externally very similar to modern dolphins,
they were carnivores and currently there are more than 50
species of ichthyosaurs.
What did they eat and what kind of lifestyle did they lead?
Although the first remains were found in Russia (on the banks of the Volga), still
the largest concentration of these dinosaurs was found in Germany.
Water lizards always lived and hunted in packs, so they could easily
it was easier to fight any attacker, and it was also easier to get food.
He was a carnivore, ate fish and animals, and attacked only those
whoever suited them in size was considered the most important dish
belemnites (“relatives” of squids), were found in the stomachs of dinosaurs
a huge number of their bones.
The birth of the cubs took place in water at the time of birth
“small” ichthyosaurs themselves already knew how to swim well and reach
food for yourself
Body structure
The body shape resembles a dolphin, the only difference is in the structure of the vertebrae (fish type,
those. during swimming, flexion occurred in the horizontal plane, the blade
tail - in a vertical plane). Therefore, if you come across a picture somewhere where
the saurus jumps out of the water, know that he could not do this (due to his structure
spine). Ichthyosaurs had fins on their backs and tails. The skin was
not scaly, but for better movement it was covered with lubricant.

Mosasaurus

This giant of the aquatic depths replaced the ichthyosaur at the beginning of the Cretaceous
period and became the last species of predatory marine reptiles. First
found between 1770-74 by retired military surgeon K. Hoffmann in
Germany. Mosasaurus is the ancestor of modern monitor lizards, but unlike them,
he had a very poorly developed sense of smell, as well as life completely
passed under water.
What did they eat and what kind of lifestyle did they lead?
Scientists on almost every continent have discovered data remains
dinosaurs, Antarctica was no exception. Although Saurus is the ancestor
monitor lizard, its permanent habitat covered only seas and oceans, and
he moved like a snake, as sea eels do.
We all know that at that time dinosaurs ruled the land, but kings
ocean waters can truly be considered mosasaurs and pliosaurs, they
They were absolutely not afraid of other inhabitants of the waters - they hunted where they wanted and who they wanted
wanted. True, they were not as bloodthirsty as pliosaurs, they were not
attacked their relatives, and ate mainly fish,
shellfish, sea turtles.
Body structure
The body was huge and elongated, the mouth also corresponded to the size of the body,
That's why this type dinosaurs could completely swallow prey either
tear it apart with one movement of the jaw. Whole body covered
scaly skin, like that of modern lizards, ended with a thick body
a tail that resembles the tail of a crocodile.

Elasmosaurus

A waterfowl lizard, but despite this, this species has repeatedly
swam to the shore to profit from land animals. Was
armed with sharp teeth, and protection provided by a strong skeleton.
What did they eat and what kind of lifestyle did they lead?
Could hunt from close and long distances. Catch even the most
a fast fish at that time, there were no special problems for the lizard, he
aimed at the victim and with an extremely sharp movement of the neck grabbed
prey.
As was already written above, Elasmosaurus loved to swim to the shore in
searching for new food, so on the shore he swallowed small stones,
which helped him grind large pieces of meat. During
excavations in the stomach of these dinosaurs there were always more than 200 of them
pebbles. Having studied these stones in more detail, scientists came to the conclusion that
Elasmosaurs swam in the ocean more than a few times during their entire lives.
thousands of kilometers in search of such pebbles..
Body structure
Dimensions
It was almost the same in length as the plesiosaur - 12-13m In height - 3.50m
Body weight – up to 500kg
Head
The head was small and very mobile, supported by a huge neck
(up to 8m), which had 72 vertebrae. The mouth was equipped with a deadly weapon -
the teeth, like spikes, easily tore prey into pieces.

10. Shastasaurus(Shastasaurus)

Ichthyosaurs were marine predators that looked like modern dolphins and could reach enormous sizes and lived during the Triassic period about 200 million years ago.
Shastasaurus, largest species The largest marine reptile ever found was an ichthyosaur that could grow to more than 20 meters. It was much longer than most other predators. But one of the largest creatures to ever swim the sea was not exactly a fearsome predator; Shastasaurus fed by suction, and ate mainly fish.

9. Dakosaurus(Dakosaurus)

Dacosaurus was first discovered in Germany, and with its strangely reptilian yet fish-like body, it was one of the main predators in the sea during the Jurassic period.
His fossil remains were found over a very wide area - they were found everywhere, from England to Russia to Argentina. Although it is usually compared to modern crocodiles, Dakosaurus could reach 5 meters in length. Its unique teeth led scientists to believe it was a top predator during its terrible reign.

8. Thalassomedon(Thalassomedon)

Thalassomedon belonged to the Pliosaur group, and its name is translated from Greek as “Lord of the Sea” - and for good reason. Thalassomedons were huge predators, reaching up to 12 meters in length.
It had nearly 2 meter long flippers, allowing it to swim in the depths with deadly efficiency. Its reign as a predator lasted until the late Cretaceous period, until it finally came to an end when new, larger predators such as Mosasaurs appeared in the sea.

7. Nothosaurus(Nothosaurus)

Nothosaurs, reaching a length of only 4 meters, were aggressive predators. They were armed mouth full sharp, outwardly oriented teeth, indicating that their diet consisted of squid and fish. It is believed that Nothosaurus were primarily ambush predators. They used their sleek, reptilian physique to sneak up on their prey and surprise it when attacking.
It is believed that Nothosaurus were relatives of pliosaurs, another type of deep-sea sea ​​predators. Evidence obtained from fossil remains suggests that they lived during the Triassic period about 200 million years ago.

6. Tylosaurus(Tylosaurus)

Tylosaurus belonged to the Mosasaurus species. He was huge size, and reached more than 15 meters in length.
Tylosaurus was a meat eater with a very varied diet. In their stomachs, traces of fish, sharks, smaller mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and even some flightless birds. They lived at the end of the Cretaceous period in a sea that covered the territory of modern North America, where they were densely located at the top of the marine food chain for several million years.

5. Thalattoarchon(Thalatoarchon saurophagis)

Only recently discovered, Thalattoarchon was the size of a school bus, reaching almost 9 meters in length. This early view an ichthyosaur that lived during the Triassic period, 244 million years ago. Because they appeared so soon after the Permian extinction (the largest mass extinction on Earth, when scientists believe 95% of marine life was wiped out), its discovery gives scientists new insights into the rapid recovery of ecosystems.

4. Tanystropheus(Tanystropheus)

Although Tanystrophey was not strictly sea ​​creature, its diet consisted mainly of fish, and scientists believe that it spent most of its time in the water. Tanystropheus was a reptile that could reach 6 meters in length and is believed to have lived during the Triassic period about 215 million years ago.

3. Liopleurodon(Liopleurodon)

Liopleurodon was a marine reptile that reached more than 6 meters in length. It primarily lived in the seas that covered Europe during the Jurassic period, and was one of the top predators of its time. Its jaws alone are believed to have reached more than 3 meters - approximately the distance from floor to ceiling.
With such huge teeth, it is not difficult to understand why Liopleurodon dominated the food chain.

2. Mosasaurus(Mosasaurus)

If Liopleurodon was huge, then Mosasaurus was colossal.
Evidence obtained from fossil remains suggests that Mosasaurus could reach up to 15 meters in length, making it one of the largest marine predators of the Cretaceous period. The Mosasaurus's head was similar to that of a crocodile, and was armed with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth that could kill even the most heavily armored opponents.

1. Megalodon(Megalodon)

One of the largest predators in maritime history and one of largest sharks Ever recorded, Megalodons were incredibly fearsome creatures.
Megalodons roamed the depths of the oceans for Cenozoic era, 28 - 1.5 million years ago, and were a much larger version of the great white shark, the most feared and strong predator in the oceans today. But while the maximum length that modern great white sharks can reach is 6 meters, Megalodons could grow up to 20 meters in length, which means they were larger than a school bus!