Fossils

Many fossils have been found in Australia, Central and Western USA and Canada. The preservation potential of these ancient marine reptiles is much more likely than their land counter parts. There is a higher percentage that these fossils will be much more intact because their living form dwelled in the ocean and thus preservation is much more likely. The remains of a dinosaur have higher probability to be transported, eroded and weathered.
Above picture is a holotype speciment of Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus, from the lower Lias of the Lyme Regis area, Dorset, England. Copyright Ancient Marine Reptiles (Callaway and Nicholls, 1997).


Table of Contents

What is a Plesiosaur

Types of Plesiosaurs

Environment

Anatomy

Evolution

Extinction

Fossils