tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post4797116552859283212..comments2024-03-17T18:37:36.377-07:00Comments on Geotripper: Searching for the "Wow Factor" - Part 4Garry Hayeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-86318143340904661522008-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:002008-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00Varanids: monitors and the like. Takes only a minu...Varanids: monitors and the like. Takes only a minute to learn something....Garry Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-2778336956484994982008-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:002008-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:00I have often described the mosasaur to my students...I have often described the mosasaur to my students as a sort of croc with fins, but there appear to be very significant differences. The mosasaurs are descended from species of varanoid (no, I don't really know what those were) lizards, and their skeletons mostly reflect that heritage, but with legs modified into fins and eel-like tails. In terms of their eco-niche, they seem to have replaced the recently extinct ichthyosaurs in Cretaceous time. A GREAT resource on the California dinosaurs and Mesozoic reptiles is Richard Hilton's "Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California", published by the University of California; certainly, I'm no expert, and most of my info comes from his book.Garry Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00531226195147986457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211670216140060946.post-44500597068941728162008-02-07T17:00:00.000-08:002008-02-07T17:00:00.000-08:00How does the skeleton of a Mosasaur compare with t...How does the skeleton of a Mosasaur compare with that of a large, sea-going salt water crocodile?C W Mageehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09706100504739548720noreply@blogger.com