Prehistoric Lizard Called Historic Link

AP ^ | 11/17/2005 | Matt Curry

[MeanWestTexan]

DALLAS - Amateur fossil hunter Van Turner felt certain he had found something important during his search of earth turned up by bulldozers making way for a new subdivision in Dallas County. Sixteen years later, scientists finally confirmed that Turner had discovered the first well preserved early mosasaur found in North America — a prehistoric lizard that lived 92 million years ago that evolved into what some call the "T. Rex of the ocean."

[bkepley]

Then I don't get your point, as there are many examples of amphibious creatures or near-amphibious creatures, none of which has any bearing on this situation at all, any more than an airplane, a bat, and a bird have bearing on one another.

What is so interesting about a lizard that lives in the sea? You have to understand that this is not a biology website and some of us are clueless about these things.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks. But it's "just another fossil."

Junior, archival ping.

[rightinthemiddle]

Only 18 replies? With this headline, I was expecting more from the Freeper Fun House.

[rightinthemiddle]

Momosasaur?

[rightinthemiddle]

It's a lizzil?

A Lizardarzil?

A Linking Lizard!!!

[Safetgiver]

PREHISTORIC LIZARD CALLED IMPORTANT SKINK

[Safetgiver]

HISTORIC...lame brain

[DallasMike]

Did it taste like chicken?

[rightinthemiddle]

PREHISTORIC LIZARD CALLED IMPORTANT SKINK

______________
Major Skink?

Don't make a Big Skink about it!

SuperSkink?

What did the P. Lizard say to the I. Skink? (when he called)

I. Skink. He a rapper?

[rightinthemiddle]

PREHISTORIC SKINK...


I think I sold one at our garage sale...so old it wouldn't climb down the stairs anymore.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"I call him Todd," said Ross McMillan, the ponytailed sculptor who worked with Polcyn for months to painstakingly construct the lifelike piece. "When you look at his face, doesn't he look like a Todd?"

Science marches on.

[rightinthemiddle]

Wait...that was a SkinkY...

[rightinthemiddle]

As you can see by my posts, I'm talking to myself.

Or, should that be, I'm talking to you?

Which is me.


Or, as I can see by my posts, I'm talking to me.

Of course, you can see that as well.

[DallasMike]

Hey, they named it Dallasaurus! Well, I guess his first name was Todd, but Todd Dallasaurus sounds pretty good. Here's conversation from 50 bazillion years ago:

"Honey, shall we invite the Dallasauruses over for dinner next Saturday?"

"Heaven's no. All they talk about is that show-off son of theirs, Todd. Todd made the honor roll. Todd captains the football team. Todd has dreams of becoming a mammal. Yada, yada, yada. Honestly, I just can't imagine sitting through a whole evening of that. That Todd Dallasaurus is such a little show-off."

[MeanWestTexan]

Well, this sea-dweller was dug up in Dallas for one.

And was a transitional fossil between a much smaller creature and a true, legless, seafaring creature.

Basically a nice link in the chain.

[MeanWestTexan]

From the looks of the mouth, I doubt very many things found out what it tasted like.

More like the other-way-round.

[orionblamblam]

> I guess it's a link between lizards and lizards.

More precisely, a link between land-lubbing monitor lizards and sea-going mosasaurs. Mosasaurs were probably capable of hauling themselves onto land now and again for brief periods but, like the pliosaurs, plesiosaurs and icthyosaurs before them, they were well on their way towards becoming almost entirely seagoing. Somewhat like rats and bats... they're both still rodents, but they're quite different.

[MineralMan]

"Somewhat like rats and bats... they're both still rodents, but they're quite different.
"

Uh....bats aren't rodents, I'm afraid. Better check on that.

[Old Professer]

About the only thing I know about amphibians and legs is that if you cut all four legs off a frog it apparently goes deaf.