Marine Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age

Have you ever heard the term “marine dinosaur”?
In reality, dinosaurs primarily inhabited the land, and animals generally thought to be in the sea are classified as marine reptiles.
These are creatures specialized for the sea that flourished in the same era as dinosaurs.

These marine reptiles are divided into several groups.

Ichthyosaurs

Possessing streamlined bodies similar to modern fish and dolphins, they were adept at swimming quickly.
Fossils of Utatsusaurus have also been found in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Utatsusaurus

Plesiosaurs

There were types with long necks (such as Elasmosaurus) and

Elasmosaurus

types with short necks (such as Liopleurodon).

Liopleurodon

The long neck is thought to have been useful for catching fish.
Futabasaurus, discovered in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, is a representative species of this group.

Futabasaurus

Lepidosaurs

While they are thought to have lived on land as well, some species in this group adapted to the sea.

Crocodilians

There were also marine species with heads resembling crocodiles, such as Metriorhynchus, which is an ancestor of modern crocodiles.

Metriorhynchus

Turtles

The giant Archelon, despite existing millions of years ago, had an appearance surprisingly similar to modern sea turtles.

Summary

During the age of dinosaurs, these marine reptiles lived in the vast oceans.
Their existence, having undergone evolution different from terrestrial dinosaurs, tells the story of the diversity of life on the ancient Earth.