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Shastasaurus Alexandrae
''Shastasaurus'' ("Mount Shasta lizard") is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic.Hilton, Richard P., ''Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Animals of California'', University of California Press, Berkeley 2003 , at pages 90-91. Specimens have been found in the United States, Canada, and China. Description left, Size of '' Shonisaurus popularis'' (green) and ''S. sikanniensis'' (red), a possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', compared with a human ''Shastasaurus'' lived during the late Triassic period. The type species, ''S. pacificus'', is known from California, with the name ''Shastasaurus'' directly referencing Shasta County, Northern California, where the type specimen was found. ''S. pacificus'' was a medium-sized ichthyosaur, measuring over in length. A second possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', ''S. sikanniensis'', is known from the Pardonet Formation British Columbia, dating to the middle Norian age (about 210 million years ago). By comparison, ''S.sikanniensis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. The corresponding series (stratigraphy), series of rock beds is known as the Upper Triassic. The Late Triassic is divided into the Carnian, Norian and Rhaetian Geologic time scale, ages. Many of the first dinosaurs evolved during the Late Triassic, including ''Plateosaurus'', ''Coelophysis'', ''Herrerasaurus'', and ''Eoraptor''. The Triassic–Jurassic extinction event began during this epoch and is one of the five major mass extinction events of the Earth. Etymology The Triassic was named in 1834 by Friedrich August von Namoh, Friedrich von Alberti, after a succession of three distinct rock layers (Greek meaning 'triad') that are widespread in southern Germany: the lower Buntsandstein (colourful ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cetacea
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel themselves through the water with powerful up-and-down movements of their tail, which ends in a paddle-like fluke, using their flipper-shaped forelimbs to steer. While the majority of cetaceans live in marine environments, a small number reside solely in brackish water, brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans, and many species migrate throughout vast ranges with the changing of the seasons. Cetaceans are famous for cetacean intelligence, their high intelligence, complex social behaviour, and the enormous size of some of the group's members. For example, the blue whale reaches a maximum confirmed length of and a weight of 173 tonne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shonisaurus Sikanniensis Royal Tyrrell
''Shonisaurus'' is a genus of very large ichthyosaurs. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the type species, ''Shonisaurus popularis'', have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian-early Norian age of the Late Triassic, around 227 million years ago. Other possible species of ''Shonisaurus'' have been discovered from the middle Norian deposits of Canada and Alaska. Description left, Size of ''S. popularis'' (green) and '' Shastasaurus sikanniensis'' (red) compared with a human (blue) ''Shonisaurus'' lived during the late Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic. With a large skull about long, ''S. popularis'' measured around in length and in body mass. ''S. sikanniensis'' was one of the largest marine reptiles of all time, measuring long and weighing . ''Shonisaurus'' had a long snout, and its flippers were much longer and narrower than in other ichthyosaurs. While ''Shonisaurus'' was initially reported to hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elizabeth Nicholls
Elizabeth (Betsy) Laura Nicholls (January 31, 1946 – October 18, 2004) was an American-Canadian paleontologist who specialized in Triassic marine reptiles. She was a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada. Early life and education Nicholls was born in Oakland, California, and received her undergraduate degree in 1968 from the University of California, Berkeley and her graduate degrees, an M.Sc. in 1972 and a Ph.D. in 1989, from the University of Calgary {{Infobox university , name = University of Calgary , image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , former ..., working under Samuel Paul Welles. Career She was the co-editor with American vertebrate paleontologist Jack Murff Callaway of the book ''Ancient Marine Reptiles''. '' Latoplatecarpus nichollsae'' was named in her honor, as was '' Nichollsemys''. N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guizhouichthyosaurus
''Guizhouichthyosaurus'' is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur which is known primarily from the Xiaowa Formation of the lower Carnian stage of the Late Triassic in southwest China. The type species of this genus is ''Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae'', of which multiple skeletons are known. It has been reassigned as a species of the genus '' Shastasaurus'' in the past, though it has since been considered distinct. The ichthyosaurs ''Cymbospondylus asiaticus'', named in 2002, and ''Panjiangsaurus epicharis'', named in 2003, are junior synonyms of ''G. tangae''. The genus is also known from the Ladinian-aged Middle Triassic Zhuganpo Formation; additionally, the species ''"Callawayia" wollongangense'' may belong to ''Guizhouichthyosaurus''. ''Guizhouichthyosaurus'' is a large ichthyosaur, typically measuring approximately long with some specimens exceeding . The snout is long and powerful, and there is a low sagittal crest on the rear part of its skull. The tail is bent downwards near its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Callawayia
''Callawayia'' is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur. It contains the species ''Callawayia neoscapularis''.Sander, P.M., Chen X., Cheng L. and Wang X. (2011).Short-Snouted Toothless Ichthyosaur from China Suggests Late Triassic Diversification of Suction Feeding Ichthyosaurs. ''PLoS ONE 6(5)'': e19480. History of research In 1994, Christopher McGowan reviewed the taxonomy of '' Shastasaurus''. In this publication, he named a new species of ''Shastasaurus'', ''S. neoscapularis'', based on ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) 41993, a partial skeleton discovered on the shore of Williston Lake in Pink Mountain, British Columbia, Canada in 1987. The specimen was excavated from "Flipper Quarry" in 1988. The name of this species refers to the closer resemblance of its scapulae (shoulder blades) to Jurassic ichthyosaurs than those of other Triassic ichthyosaurs. In 2000, Michael Maisch published a study on the skull anatomy of ''Shastasaurus'', and also revised the genus again. He noted that ''S. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an international border with the Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With almost 40million residents across an area of , it is the List of states and territories of the United States by population, largest state by population and List of U.S. states and territories by area, third-largest by area. Prior to European colonization of the Americas, European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following Mexican War of Independence, its successful war for independence, but Mexican Cession, was ceded to the U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnian
The Carnian (less commonly, Karnian) is the lowermost stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Triassic series (stratigraphy), Series (or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Triassic Epoch (reference date), Epoch). It lasted from 237 to 227.3 megaannum, million years ago (Ma). The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian. Its boundaries are not characterized by major extinctions or biotic turnovers, but a climatic event (known as the Carnian pluvial episode characterized by substantial rainfall) occurred during the Carnian and seems to be associated with important extinctions or biotic radiations. Another extinction occurred at the Carnian-Norian boundary, ending the Carnian age. Stratigraphic definitions The Carnian was named in 1869 by Johann August Georg Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvar, Mojsisovics. It is unclear if it was named after the Carnic Alps or after the Austrian region of Carinthia (state), Carinthia (''Kärnten'' in German) or after th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type Species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological Type (biology), type wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or specimens). Article 67.1 A similar concept is used for suprageneric groups and called a type genus. In botanical nomenclature, these terms have no formal standing under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, code of nomenclature, but are sometimes borrowed from zoological nomenclature. In botany, the type of a genus name is a specimen (or, rarely, an illustration) which is also the type of a species name. The species name with that type can also be referred to as the type of the genus name. Names of genus and family ranks, the various subdivisions of those ranks, and some higher-rank names based on genus names, have suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shastasaurus Pacificus Restoration
''Shastasaurus'' ("Mount Shasta lizard") is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic.Hilton, Richard P., ''Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Animals of California'', University of California Press, Berkeley 2003 , at pages 90-91. Specimens have been found in the United States, Canada, and China. Description left, Size of '' Shonisaurus popularis'' (green) and ''S. sikanniensis'' (red), a possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', compared with a human ''Shastasaurus'' lived during the late Triassic period. The type species, ''S. pacificus'', is known from California, with the name ''Shastasaurus'' directly referencing Shasta County, Northern California, where the type specimen was found. ''S. pacificus'' was a medium-sized ichthyosaur, measuring over in length. A second possible species of ''Shastasaurus'', ''S. sikanniensis'', is known from the Pardonet Formation British Columbia, dating to the middle Norian age (about 210 million years ago). By comparison, ''S.sikanniensis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mixosaurus
''Mixosaurus'' is an extinct genus of Middle Triassic (Anisian to Ladinian, about 250-240 Mya) ichthyosaur. Its fossils have been found near the Italy–Switzerland border and in South China. The genus was named in 1887 by George H. Baur. The name means "Mixed Lizard", and was chosen because it appears to have been a transitional form between the eel-shaped ichthyosaurs such as '' Cymbospondylus'' and the later dolphin-shaped ichthyosaurs, such as '' Ichthyosaurus''. Baur named ''Mixosaurus'' as a new genus because its forefin was sufficiently different from that of ''Ichthyosaurus''. Numerous species have been described within this genus, which was once considered as the most common genus of Triassic ichthyosaurs. The type species is ''M. cornalianus'', and the definitive number of species is debated among researchers. Description ''Mixosaurus'' was a small ichthyosaur, measuring long and weighing . The largest specimens would have measured over in length. It possessed a l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dorsal Fin
A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found in most fish, in mammals such as whales, and in extinct ancient marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs. Most have only one dorsal fin, but some have two or three. Wildlife biologists often use the distinctive nicks and wear patterns which develop on the dorsal fins of whales to identify individuals in the field. The bones or cartilages that support the dorsal fin in fish are called pterygiophores. Functions The main purpose of the dorsal fin is usually to stabilize the animal against rolling and to assist in sudden turns. Some species have further adapted their dorsal fins to other uses. The sunfish uses the dorsal fin (and the anal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to ge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
