The ocean is the cradle of life on Earth and the world where giant creatures on Earth are most often distributed. At present, the largest type of organism on the earth is the marine mammal whale, such as the sperm whale stranded in the Shipu sea of Ningbo some time ago, with a length of about 19 meters and a conservative weight estimated at about 60 tons, and the sperm whale is the largest member of the existing toothed whale.
Most of the toothed whales are small and medium-sized whales, such as most dolphins, while most of the baleen whales are medium and large whales, of which the blue whale is the largest living animal on the earth, the longest can reach about 30 meters, weighing 180 tons, such a behemoth is a docile little cute.
Even killer whales, much smaller than them, can hunt blue whales in droves, whales are more intelligent as mammals, and marine overlords like killer whales are full of kindness to humans. But if the giant beasts living in the ancient oceans had not become extinct, humans would certainly not have dared to go half a step closer to the ocean.
Scientists have discovered giant ichthyosaur fossils
On April 28, it was reported that scientists had found fossils of three giant creatures at an altitude of 2,740 meters in the Swiss Alps, which were even larger than the existing baleen whales and were fossils of giant ichthyosaurs.
Scientists based on the analysis and description of the ribs and vertebrae fossils of ichthyosaurs, speculated that the length of two ichthyosaurs was 15 meters and 21 meters, and for the third ichthyosaur scientists measured the largest fossil tooth of ichthyosaurs, 15 cm long and 6 cm wide at the bottom. The length of the fossil of this third ichthyosaur surprised scientists, because in 2021, the other 18-meter ichthyosaur discovered by scientists had a width of only 2cm at the bottom of its teeth, and the length of the ichthyosaur found this time is likely to reach 54 meters.
This length can definitely break the ancient and modern to become the largest marine life, ichthyosaur appeared earlier than the dinosaurs, the earliest appeared 250 million years ago, and the time of extinction is earlier than the dinosaurs, about 90 million years ago Ichthyosaurs disappeared as a whole.
Scientists believe that ichthyosaurs are a very successful type of marine reptile, the smallest ichthyosaurs may only be 30-40 cm long, but the largest ichthyosaurs are tens of meters long.
Ichthyosaur refers to "lizards like fish", after the Permian species extinction, marine ecosystem resources are rich, more competitive species have disappeared, seize this opportunity ichthyosaur rapidly rose and grew in the marine ecosystem, ichthyosaur once dominated the entire Triassic ocean.
Because ichthyosaurs vary in size, from tens of centimeters to tens of meters, and are fierce in nature, they occupy the top position in the entire marine food chain from small predators, medium-sized predators to large predators.
Ichthyosaurs are at their peak and are bound to be the first to be affected in the face of mass extinctions.
The main battlefield of the Triassic mass extinction is the marine world, ichthyosaurs suffered heavy losses, with the development of the Jurassic period plesiosaurs began to rise, occupying an increasingly important position in the marine ecosystem, and began to gradually squeeze the living space of ichthyosaurs, to the Cretaceous period of the dragon development and growth, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs began to marginalize, and eventually disappeared in the long river of history.
If the ichthyosaurs are not extinct, they will be the most powerful predators of the ocean, and humans do not dare to approach the ocean for half a step
Scientists believe that in the 3.8 billion years of life history on Earth, from the simple single-celled life of the earliest marine ecosystem to the scene of today's vibrant and thriving everything, there are basically three groups of behemoths, all of which have been the hegemons of the marine ecosystem. The Ichthyosaur family that dominated the marine ecosystem during the Triassic period was the first to be the most powerful marine predators; followed by the long-necked sauropods, both on land and on the oceans; and finally the surviving baleen whales, which, although insufficient in combat power, were at least there, and there were few other predators who could shake them.
Even if killer whales are a threat to some baleen whales, they are not natural enemies, only a small probability event, and killer whales do not specifically feed on baleen whales. If ichthyosaurs had not survived extinction to this day, they would undoubtedly have become the most powerful predators in the oceans, at all levels.
Scientists believe that the teeth of ichthyosaurs are relatively developed, it can be known that they are typical marine predators, are meat-eating, coupled with their own body size advantages, few other predators will pose a threat to ichthyosaurs, if it is not experienced in the mass extinction event of the species, ichthyosaurs will not give the rising plesiosaurs the opportunity to take advantage.
It can only be said that if the ichthyosaur lives in the modern ocean, human beings absolutely dare not step into the ocean for half a step, which will become a forbidden area for many terrestrial creatures.
Say at the end
The only factor that limits the development and growth of a class of species is the change of the natural environment, such as the mass extinction event, such as the ichthyosaur, and the same is true of the dinosaurs that once ruled the earth for 160 million years, they were once beautiful, occupying the main ecological niche, but because of the species extinction event, they walked off the stage of history. This should be a wake-up call to human civilization, and if the sixth mass extinction comes, humans will not only be the culprit, but also likely to be the protagonist of the sixth mass extinction. #科学家发现巨型鱼龙化石 #
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