Ancient 'Fish Lizard' Graveyard Discovered Beneath Melting Glacier

[Judi Lynn]

Ancient 'Fish Lizard' Graveyard Discovered Beneath Melting Glacier
By Tanya Lewis, Staff writer | May 28, 2014 10:30am ET



Dozens of nearly complete skeletons of prehistoric marine reptiles have been uncovered near a melting glacier in southern Chile.

Scientists found 46 specimens from four different species of extinct ichthyosaurs. These creatures, whose Greek name means "fish lizards," were a group of large, fast-swimming marine reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era, about 245 million to 90 million years ago.

The newly discovered skeletons are from both embryos and adults. The creatures, likely killed during a series of catastrophic mudslides, were preserved in deep-sea sediments that were later exposed by the melting glacier, the researchers said in the study, published May 22 in the journal Geological Society of America Bulletin. (See Photos of the Ichthyosaur Graveyard Found in Chile)

http://www.livescience.com/45918-ichthyosaur-graveyard-chile-glacier.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. 46 Ancient Fish Lizards Emerge from Beneath Melting Glacier

May 29th, 2014, 20:54 GMT · By Laura Sinpetru
46 Ancient Fish Lizards Emerge from Beneath Melting Glacier



As many as 46 ancient so-called fish lizards have recently emerged from beneath a melting glacier in Chile, which can only mean that, despite the effort folks put into badmouthing them, climate change and global warming do have their perks.

Not to beat about the bush, the official name for these creatures – the one that was probably inscribed in their ancient stone-carved ID and driving license – is ichthyosaurs.

Live Science tells us that these reptiles roamed the Earth about 245 million to 90 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era, and inhabited aquatic environments.

Specifically, they were marine reptiles and were built in such ways that they were able to reach impressive speeds when swimming, scientists who have studied their remains explain.

Thus, their bodies had a shape similar to that of modern torpedoes, and they were equipped with strong vertical flippers. Their head ended with a long snout fitted with a set of scary-looking teeth.

More:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/46-Ancient-Fish-Lizards-Emerge-from-Beneath-Melting-Glacier-444296.shtml

[Enthusiast]

4. Ichthyosaurs resemblance to modern day dolphins is a great example of convergent evolution.

[arcane1]

2. Cool!!

[starroute]

3. Wildly misleading headline, since they were neither fish nor lizards

Just because the early 19th century zoologists who named them had no clue what they were looking at doesn't mean we should perpetuate the confusion.