Mesozoic Marine Reptiles: Dolphins🐬 or Sea Monsters🦈? GEO GIRL

Dolphins and other cetaceans are mammals, not reptiles. But in the Mesozoic sea, from 250 to 66 million years ago, reptiles filled the role that these marine mammals fill today! These marine reptiles looked like sea monsters and reached insane sizes which made them apex predators that shaped ecosystems at the time! In this video I go through the types and timelines of these marine reptiles, how and why they finally went extinct, and why mammals took over this niche after the marine reptiles were gone in the Cenozoic. GEO GIRL Website: (visit my website to see all my courses, shop merch, learn more about me, & donate to support the channel if you’d like!) 0:00 Most Impactful Marine Reptiles 2:42 Time Ranges of Marine Reptiles 4:25 Ichthyosaurs vs Dolphins 9:10 Plesiosaurs vs Loch Ness Monster 10:18 Mosasaurs vs Whales & Sharks 11:43 Placodonts & Turtles 12:09 Multiple Reptilian Ancestors 13:21 What Made Them So Successful? 15:29 How They Went Extinct 15:57 Why Did Mammals Take Over These Roles? References: For info on Mesozoic marine reptiles: “The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles“ by Joschua Knüppe, Wolfgang Stinnesbeck, and James M. Neff () For info on marine mammal evolution: “The Emergence of Whales: Evolutionary Patterns in the Origin of Cetacea“ by . Thewissen () “Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology“ edited by Annalisa Berta, James L. Sumich, and Kit M. Kovacs () Hey there, Earth enthusiast! Check my favorite Earth-friendly products: Bamboo toilet paper: Bamboo paper towels: Compostable tableware: Compostable trash bags: Bamboo cutlery straw! : Eco-Friendly Tote (great for grocery shopping!): Reusable straws cleaning brushes (my fav!): Eco-friendly laundry detergent: Directly offset your carbon footprint with Wren: (Just click link, press get started, take the free C footprint quiz, then choose how much you want to reduce your footprint by donating to the C sequestration projects they’re funding!) Non-textbook books I recommend: Oxygen by D. Canfield: Brief history of Earth by A. Knoll: Life on young planet by A. Knoll: Some assembly required by N. Shubin: Your inner fish by N. Shubin: Oxygen by N. Lane: Alien Oceans by K. Hand: Life’s Engines: Tools I use as a geologist/teacher/student: Geology field notebook: Geology rock hammer: Geological compass: Geological hand lens: Camera: Carbon-neutral pencil bag: Carbon-neutral backpack: Disclaimer: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission, but there is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week! And as always, let me know your topic suggestions in the comments down below!