When Dinosaur George’s Traveling Museum came to my city, I got to meet a talented paleontologist in person! Dinosaur George told me all about the amazing fossil replicas of ancient sea creatures in his museum. Even before dinosaurs walked the earth, these prehistoric swimmers lived deep below the surface of the ocean in their own unique ecosystems. These are my top 6 favorite aquatic specimens in Dinosaur George’s exhibit!
#6: Ichthyosaurus (ick-thee-oh-sah-rus)
What do you get when you combine the speed and distinct bill of a swordfish, the round body and blowhole of a dolphin, and the enormous eyes of deep-sea creatures? An Ichthyosaurus! These fast and agile hunters zipped around at high speeds in search of fish and squid. Their enormous eyes may have helped them see well in the dark. Like modern dolphins, they had to swim to the surface to breathe.
#5: Dunkleosteus (dunk-lee-oh-stee-uhs)
Dunkleosteus is the “fishermen’s pet” - this giant predatory fish could really bite! This was the largest predator of its time. With its heavily armored skulls and powerful jaws, Dunkleosteus had the second most powerful bite of any fish in Earth’s history! And it didn’t have any teeth - instead, it had sharp bony plates that formed a beak-like structure. Dunkleosteus want a cracker?
#4: Elasmosaurus (ee-lazz-moh-sah-rus)
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster might have been inspired by the Elasmosaurus! Paleontologists believe this dinosaur used its long neck like a fishing pole to catch fish. Its long, skinny teeth were razor-sharp to help them hold their slippery prey. So think twice about looking for Nessie - she might actually be a dinosaur!
#3: Platecarpus (pla-teh-car-puhs)
Platecarpus isn’t considered an official dinosaur - it’s actually related to modern-day snakes! Their long, flexible tails helped them move through the water at lightning speed. Like other predators on this list, they used their sharp teeth to catch and eat fish and other aquatic creatures.
#2: Tylosaurus (tie-low-sah-rus)
Tylosaurus had two sets of teeth and three sets of jaws! These kings of the sea were 49 feet long and weighed up to 3 tons. They also had a distinctly round, blunt nose, which they may have used to ram potential prey! Like the Platecarpus, Tylosaurus were related to modern snakes but lived in the ocean.
#1: Megalodon (meh-ga-loh-don)
Megalodons were 100 feet long and weighed 100 tons. That’s almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty! These ancient sharks make Great Whites look small. (The second photo is a comparison between a Megalodon and a Great White.) They had the strongest bite force of any animal in Earth’s history!
From snakes to sharks, these ancient marine animals definitely ruled the seas! Tune in next week for another article inspired by Dinosaur George’s Traveling Museum. 👓