When dinosaurs ruled the earth, Plesiosaurs roamed the seas. Join us as we travel back in time, millions of years ago, in our upcoming Sea Monsters: Past and Present exhibition at S.E.A. Aquarium.
How long is the Plesiosaur?
- The name Plesiosaur means “nearly lizard”. They lived in the Jurassic Period between 66 million and 200 million years ago. It was an era when dinosaurs such as Diplodocus, Allosaurus and Stegosaurus also lived.
- Plesiosaurs were not dinosaurs. They were a group of aquatic warm-blooded reptiles which gave birth to live young. An adult Plesiosaur fossil found in 1987, showed bones of an embryo in its abdomen.
- Plesiosaurs had a broad flat body and a short tail. Their limbs had evolved into four long flippers, which allowed them glide through the water.
- Plesiosaurs were air breathers, so they had to swim to the surface frequently.
- Some species of the Plesiosaur had necks that could reach seven metres long. However the necks were inflexible and could only turn gently.
- The long neck of the Plesiosaur is supported by approximately 40 individual vertebrae. For comparison, a human (and surprisingly, a giraffe) has only seven neck vertebrae.
- They ate fish and occasionally baby ichthyosaurs–“fish lizards” that resembled modern reptiles like snakes and crocodiles.
- Plesiosaurs used their teeth for catching prey, not chewing. They swallowed their prey whole.
Learn more about some of the most unusual sea creatures that lived millions of years ago, at S.E.A. Aquarium’s upcoming Sea Monsters: Past and Present exhibition.
The Sea Monsters: Past and Present programme will run from now until 30 September 2015
Ever wondered what mysterious animals swam in our oceans millions of years ago? Join us at this awe-inspiring exhibition that brings to life some of the most bizarre, ferocious and fascinating creatures that ruled the prehistoric oceans.
Organized into three zones, the exhibition unfolds to reveal sea monsters of the past and present. Discover breathtaking exhibits of extinct marine creatures and learn which of them are still among us today.
Monster Excavation
Enter a fossil excavation site and unravel the “remains” of three of the world’s greatest marine predators – the giant shark Megalodon, the colossal Plesiosaur which swallowed their prey whole, and the Ichthyosaur that could dive down to 600 metres.
Get up-close with the fearsome jaws of the Megalodon and find out how paleontologists used bones to understand the lives of Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur.
Go Back 380 Million Years
Before dinosaurs roamed the earth, gigantic armoured prehistoric fish ruled the oceans. One unique species of Placoderm measured as long as 10 metres with deadly jaws feared even by sharks. This special exhibit will bring this extinct top predator and its unique habitat “back to life”.
Living Fossils
Do you know that there are prehistoric creatures living among us right up to this day? Come see some of them who still share our oceans, such as the Horseshoe Crab, Alligator Gar, and even the Coelacanths which were thought to be extinct for 70 million years.
