c. 105 million years ago, Telemon Station, Queensland
A pair of sub-adult Platypterygius longmani cruise through the inland sea that covers much of central Australia during this part of the Cretaceous Period. The cosmopolitan Platypterygius was the last surviving genus of ichthyosaur, fish-like reptiles that were far more diverse during the Triassic and Jurassic Periods. Platypterygius longmani is known from North Central Queensland and possibly the Northern Territory with isolated bones suggesting a maximum of length of about 7 m. However, this reconstruction is based on a superb skeleton from Telemon Station that measures 5.6 m in length.
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Art and text © Brian Choo 2004
A pair of sub-adult Platypterygius longmani cruise through the inland sea that covers much of central Australia during this part of the Cretaceous Period. The cosmopolitan Platypterygius was the last surviving genus of ichthyosaur, fish-like reptiles that were far more diverse during the Triassic and Jurassic Periods. Platypterygius longmani is known from North Central Queensland and possibly the Northern Territory with isolated bones suggesting a maximum of length of about 7 m. However, this reconstruction is based on a superb skeleton from Telemon Station that measures 5.6 m in length.
Back to main pageArt and text © Brian Choo 2004