Triassic Kraken
Encyclopedia
The Triassic Kraken is a gigantic ancient cephalopod hypothesized to be responsible for the deaths of Triassic ichthyosaurs belonging the the genus Shonisaurus preserved at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
in Nevada. Vertebral remains from the ichthyosaurs are arranged into almost geometric patterns that resemble the sucker discs on an octopus tentacle, leading to the contention by Mark McMenamin
and Dianna L. Schulte McMenamin that the patterns represent Earth's earliest examples of self-portraiture, possibly implying high intelligence in the hypothesized Mesozoic cephalopod. The vertebral centra in the Specimen U sample, for example, are arrayed in a biserial pattern, in an arrangement that differs from their original placement in the shonisaur vertebral column. Hydrodynamic considerations of the site are inconsistent with the hypothesis that currents were responsible for the unusual arrangement of bones.
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
The environment of Nevada comprises diverse biotas, climates, and geologies. Environmental regulations and the environmental movement have aimed to respond to environmental threats.-Renewable Portfolio Standard:...
in Nevada. Vertebral remains from the ichthyosaurs are arranged into almost geometric patterns that resemble the sucker discs on an octopus tentacle, leading to the contention by Mark McMenamin
Mark McMenamin
Mark McMenamin is a tenured professor of geology at Mount Holyoke College. His research is primarily focused on paleontology, particularly the Ediacaran biota....
and Dianna L. Schulte McMenamin that the patterns represent Earth's earliest examples of self-portraiture, possibly implying high intelligence in the hypothesized Mesozoic cephalopod. The vertebral centra in the Specimen U sample, for example, are arrayed in a biserial pattern, in an arrangement that differs from their original placement in the shonisaur vertebral column. Hydrodynamic considerations of the site are inconsistent with the hypothesis that currents were responsible for the unusual arrangement of bones.