Re: Big Bad Bolide vs. Evil Ecological Encrouching (was KT Boundary)

[Jura <archosaur@reptilis.net>]

>Rob, In your last post just now you mentioned that ALL
>seagoing reptiles were wiped out. Is the geological
>range of living marine chelonians known? I'm no turtle
>expert, but if these were around before or during the
>K/T Event, this possible exception to the otherwise
>total marine reptile extinction might be a fruitful
>subject for comparative research, i.e., why did the
>big guys like Archelon go extinct and not the living
>taxa, IF the living taxa were around.... Mark Hallett

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

True sea turtles (the flippered kind :) first appeared in the late Jurassic and 
peaked in the Cretaceous. Their were quite a few different families then 
(though Desmatochelyidae is the only coming to mind). I don't remember if the 
other families went extinct before or after the K/T event. Unfortunately I'm 
strapped for time right now. Anyone else care to lend a hand here :)

Jura

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"I am impressed by the fact that we know less about many modern [reptile] types 
than we do of many fossil groups." 
- Alfred S. Romer  Osteology of the Reptiles

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