Shonisaurus
Sign in to saveShonisaurus is a genus of very large ichthyosaurs. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the type species, Shonisaurus popularis, have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian-early Norian age of the Late Triassic, around 227 million years ago. Other possible species of Shonisaurus have been discovered from the middle Norian deposits of Canada and Alaska.
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6 sectionsContents
- Description
- History of discovery
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Shonisaurus is a genus of very large ichthyosaurs. At least 37 incomplete fossil specimens of the type species, Shonisaurus popularis, have been found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. This formation dates to the late Carnian-early Norian age of the Late Triassic, around 227 million years ago. Other possible species of Shonisaurus have been discovered from the middle Norian deposits of Canada and Alaska.
==Description== thumb|left|Size of S. popularis (green) and Shastasaurus sikanniensis (red) compared with a human (blue) thumb|Shonisaurus skeleton, Nevada State Museum Shonisaurus lived during the late Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic. With a large skull about long, S. popularis measured around in length and in body mass. S. sikanniensis was one of the largest marine reptiles of all time, measuring long and weighing .