Plesiosaur
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
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The Plesiosaur is an extinct marine reptile that is found in strata identified as the Mesozoic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Eras. It is said that the plesiosaurs were close relatives of crocodiles and other reptiles, but they are not dinosaurs. Along with other sea creatures, the Plesiosaur was created in the 5th day of creation.
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Anatomy
Plesiosaurs were thought to be extremely huge aquatic reptile like monster. The Plesiosaurs ranged anywhere from a solid ten feet to a hundred. They had a long neck and appealing plump body, and four gigantic paddle-shaped flippers. The plesiosaur uses its flippers to walk on land and swim in the water. The plesiosaur will use its front flippers in the same motion someone would make to accelerate a rowboat, which is goes out and then pulls back to thrust forward. The back flippers are used for steering and its balance for equilibrium. Since the flippers make it very hard for the plesiosaur to walk on land, they have to walk with a waddling movement. Their tails had a variation of lengths. The plesiosaur was known to have enormously sharp teeth and a very muscular jaw. It is assumed that the plesiosaur had developed from the Nothosaur or Pistosaurus, which were both mid-Triassic reptiles. The Plesiosaur was known to have probably very little trouble maneuvering its way around in the water and has quicksilver reactions or reflexes and speed as fast as lightning. The name Plesiosaur means, "near lizard,” which means if it was a lizard or reptile it was most likely a cold-blooded animal, but is not proven or supported by facts and scientists can only presume that is was cold-blooded. The plesiosaurs habits are typically related to modern day sea turtles and seals although they are not related.[1][2]
Reproduction
The consideration is that a female plesiosaur will go to a muddy or sandy area whether it is on the sea floor or out on the shore. It will dig a big enough hole with its flippers for it to lay its eggs in and after the eggs are laid it will cover the hole where the eggs are so that the babies will not be susceptible to danger. She will pack the top of the sand down hard to keep it securely tucked away and as it ventures away back to go out into the water; it will get rid of any evidence that would lead a predator to the babies. When the babies’ hatch they are on their own and will crawl back out to sea and have to learn the way of life on its very own. Somehow, the babies manage to make it on their own in their big blue world.[3]
Ecology
The Plesiosaur habitat was the open oceans. The Plesiosaurs would eat ballasts so it would help pulverize food in their stomach so that digestion was not so problematical and to help them dive deep in the water to the beyond. Plesiosaurs ate all kinds of numerous types of fish and any other swimming animal or organism. They had no problem chewing with their strong jaws and no difficulty mincing another fish to bits with its various razor sharp teeth. The other frequent thing that the Plesiosaur would like to eat was Ammonites. Ammonites are known by almost all because of the commons similar designs on their shell. Ammonites were free-swimming creatures associated to squid and octopuses. They would attack their prey with stretching tentacles coming out of their shell and their shell was filled with gas and liquid to keep them buoyant and free swimming. How they maneuvered themselves around was by flapping their flippers like crazy back and forth.[4][5]
Plesiosaur in the Bible
- Main Page: Leviathan
There is a graphic descriptions of an animal in the Bible called Leviathan, which is portrayed as a terrifying fire-breathing sea monster that some believe may be a Kronosaurus.
Leviathan - Job 41:1-34 Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose? Or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Or will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your maidens? Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!....
Alleged Plesiosaur Find
- Main Article: Zuiyo-maru
In 1977, a Japanese trawler named Zuiyo-maru was fishing off the coast of New Zealand and pulled up a carcass of an unidentified animal. After some pictures and measurements were taken, the carcass was thrown back because of its unpleasant odor, logistic difficulties of carting it to shore, and to avoid spoiling the fish already caught. Japanese scientists originally identified the carcass as an extinct animal, possibly a Plesiosaur. Subsequent analysis suggests the creature was some sort of shark, not a Plesiosaur. The specimen does not form an airtight argument for modern sightings of dinosaurs, and is considered an argument creationists should not use.
Gallery
 This Plesiosaur remains in a glass display case in a museum. |
 This is another Plesiosaur on display. |
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Related References
- Plesiosaur by Wikipedia
- PLESIOSAURS: "Near-lizards" by Enchanted Learning
- Our Fossils by CHARMOUTH HERITAGE COAST CENTRE
See Also
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