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Published: 2013-09-20 03:41:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 1644; Favourites: 57; Downloads: 0
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Description
Unbeknownst to any of the Game Keepers at Mesozoica, one night, by the light of the full moon, one of the parks resident Archelon climbed ashore and deposited her eggs in a hole she excavated on the beach. A few months later, her hatchlings began to emerge from the sand. The head keeper, Mr. Ashford Bowman spotted the hatchlings, and he and another keeper gathered as many as they could catch. Unfortunately, some of the parks resident birds and pterosaurs beat them to the beach, and many of the hatchlings were caught, and eaten, like this unfortunate hatchling, being dispatched by one of the Ichthyornis that inhabit the Niobrara Bay Aviary.Related content
Comments: 10
Orionide5 [2013-09-22 03:38:26 +0000 UTC]
I like this picture; it could just as easily be paleorealism.
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Capt-Jack-Stifler In reply to Hyrotrioskjan [2013-09-20 13:18:41 +0000 UTC]
I had never seen it illustrated before, and I'm sure it was a common occurence along the Western Interior Seaway, so I wanted to give it a shot (Plus, it goes along with something in my book). Glad you like it!
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Brutonyx In reply to Capt-Jack-Stifler [2019-03-07 17:23:12 +0000 UTC]
Indeed, we actually have evidence of this! The right lower flipper of the holotype of Archelon is missing, and stunted growth of remaining flipper bone indicates this occurred early in life. It may have been the result of attempted predation by a bird while a hatchling and trying to escape to the sea, bitten off by some large predator such as a mosasaur or a Xiphactinus, or was crushed off by larger adults while herding on the shore. However, the latter is unlikely as juveniles probably did not frequent the coasts even during breeding season.
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Hyrotrioskjan In reply to Capt-Jack-Stifler [2013-09-20 13:26:13 +0000 UTC]
Indeed, we often overlook the obvious things
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EWilloughby [2013-09-20 11:40:51 +0000 UTC]
Great work, I love the detail of the scales on the turtle and the bird's legs.
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Capt-Jack-Stifler In reply to EWilloughby [2013-09-20 13:16:46 +0000 UTC]
Very time consuming, but I'm happy with how they turned out! Thanks Emily!
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