The real look of marine reptile skin?

[tetonbabydoll]

My understanding is that aside from the tylosaur, and even that to a degree, these animals had very, very fine scales, smaller in size than snake scales. Not proportional. Actually smaller. So, a 30-40 foot animal with very fine 2mm scales would LOOK completely smooth to the naked eye. Unless you got right up next to it. I suspect it might be smooth to the touch too. I have never actually touched a snake, but I gather it is not rough or course. This is just the impression I have from the articles on the subject. If this is so, I can see why paintings and sculptures just go with the smoothie look, it just is not possible to do unless life sized.

The Tylosaur thing is odd though, because the pics do show scutes and such, so maybe the top was more reptilian looking, with a smoother underbelly?

[tomhet]

^^^ But we don't know any of that for sure, do we?

[tetonbabydoll]

Well, I have been "studying this for all of a day and a half here and there. I have seen the pics of the skin impressions that are available, and read the quotes of respected experts in this field, and I can only report what was said by others. That the Tylosaur skin impressions showed small 2mm wide keeled scales. I do not know what part of the body this covered, so cannot claim the whole animal was this way. I read that Bob Baker had inspected plesiosaur scales and found them to be so small and fine as to make the skin appear to be smooth to the naked eye, I have read articles and testimony by people claiming expertise, that state the "fringe like structure down the Tylosaur's back was in fact displaced tracheal cartilige, and that there is no evidence of nuchal fringes.The same experts claim that mosasaurs were sleek, like orcas and seals, and not scaly sea monsters. The mosasaur scales at these conferences were described as being similar to a rattlesnakes', only smaller, measuring 3.3mm by 2.5 mm.

I myself don't know any of this for sure, but I quoted these references, names and papers in my first post. These people have supposedly examined the skin impressions, and all came to the same smoothie appearance conclusion. Now, at any second, that theory could be overturned by new, better evidence, so it is not "for sure". And. there may well be scientists who disagree. I make no case here as to knowing if this is right or wrong. I just went on a quick google search for some quotable info to bring to the discussion, as opposed to just my own opinion.

[arioch]

Can you post some pic of this skin impressions, please?

[Dinotoyforum]

[tetonbabydoll]

Sso, those are actual size scales? If a whole tylosaur was covered in that, then from a distance it would look pretty sleek? C'Mon, Dr A, help straighten us out here.......

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

From about 15 feet away they look like little black dots.

[Dinotoyforum]

On the printed page this photo is only 10cm or so wide, the font size is about 12. So the scales are larger on the screen than they are in real life.

[Dinotoyforum]

A larger view of the same specimen, from oceansofkansas (still no scale bar though):

[Dinotoyforum]

dana! Recent photo of the specimen, with ruler for scale.



An online version of the article (Snow, 1878) is here too:
www.oceansofkansas.com/Snow1878.html

[tetonbabydoll]

So, judging by visual evidence, at any sort of distance, this animal is gonna have a fairly smooth appearance....

[Dinotoyforum]

yep

[sid]

That's a good specimen indeed...Real Mosasaurus' skin

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

^ Fossilized mosasaur skin...

[sid]

Dec 29, 2008 18:59:03 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

^ Fossilized mosasaur skin...

Ehy,why today you're so nit-picky,Cordy?

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

I am sorry Sid, I did not know that it would hurt your feelings. I thought that you thought it was actual skin and not a fossil, but I was obviously wrong. I will refrain next time.

[arioch]

And icthyosaurs and elasmosaurs had the same skin, then? where icthyos in fact scaled killer dolphins? lol

[Dinotoyforum]

As mentioned above, all known fossil skin impressions of plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs are preserved as featureless dark films, no indication of scales.

[sid]

Dec 29, 2008 19:16:49 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

I am sorry Sid, I did not know that it would hurt your feelings. I thought that you thought it was actual skin and not a fossil, but I was obviously wrong. I will refrain next time.

Oh,okay...No problem,then

[stoneage]

;D I would think that smooth skin makes more sense for cutting down drag when moving through water! Rough skin would increase the water resistance making the animal slower when swimming! ;D I guess you could say that smooth skin would make it more hydrodynamic! ;D