RE: Sauropterygian falls?

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Rodlox R wrote:

> > My understanding of this stuff (which is reinforced by the Nature article) 
> > is that whale carcasses provide the foundation of a unique ecosystem due 
> > to the sheer size and 'fattiness' of the beasts.
>
> well, in that case, what insulation method would ichthyosaurs (et al marine 
> archosaurs*) use?

I don't really know.  Then again, I'm not really 'up' on ichthyosaur 
biology.  I have the impression that 'whale falls' are especially bountiful 
due to the impressive size of the carcasses (30 to over 100 tonnes for the 
largest whales) combined with the nutrient-rich marrow inside the bones.  I 
know some ichthyosaurs were certainly very large: I've seen estimates of 40 
tonnes for _Shonisaurus_, and there is evidence for ichthyosaurs that were 
even bigger.  However, it's hard to know how an 'ichthyosaur fall' would 
have compared to a 'whale fall' considering that the latter is a mammal and 
the former is not.



Tim