Nevada

Written by: Keefe Li

The state fossil of Nevada is //Shonisaurus popularis,// which is an Icthyosaur. An Icthyosaur was a marine animal that looked very similar to a dolphin. It lived and swam in the sea and in prehistoric oceans. Icthyosaurs had sharp teeth in long jaws, big eyes, flippers and a tail. //Shonisaurus popularis// was for many years the largest known ichthyosaur in the world, and is still the largest ichthyosaur known from the United States. Icthyosaurs were mamals, they breathed air with lungs through nostrils which were close to their eyes, near the top of the snout. They also gave birth to live young; fossils have been found with baby Ichthyosaurs in the abdomen. //Shonisaurus popularis// and other Icthyosaurs lived in the late Triassic (late Carnian to Norian Stage age--roughly 218 to 210 million years old). Nevada is now a dry, sage brush covered desert, but it is hard to imagine that 200 million years ago, it was as ocean. Another clue to how Nevada was back then was the fact that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver were dug mined next to the fossils of these marine animals. The fossils of //Shonisaurus popularis// and many Icthyosaurs were well preserved in rocks, many of them were unearthed in the Shoshone Mountains which are located in central Nevada. A complete fossil of //Shonisaurus popularis// can be found in the Nevada state museum in Las Vagas. While most of the 36 others were covered and protected for later study. The remains of 8 or 9 individuals are safely exposed inside the ichthyosaur shelter that is open year-round, that shelther is located in the Berlin-Ichthyosaur Park in Nevada. The fossils were founded by Dr. Charles Camp, who named them //Shonisaurus popularis// for the Shoshone Mountain Range in which they were found and for the popular effort of those who assisted in their excavation and protection. //Shonisaurus popularis// or the Icthyosaur is the State fossil of Nevada because some of the largest ichthyosaur fossils in the world were found in Nevada. Smith, D. (n.d). Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, Nevada. Retrieved from [] Everhart, M. (2001-2009). // SHONISAURUS POPULARIS. // Retrieved from [] e-ReferenceDesk. (2004-2011). Nevada State Fossil: Ichthyosaur. Retrieved from []
 * Sources:**Knapp, G. (Nov 26, 2007). I-Team: Ichthyosaur, State Fossil of Nevada. Retrieved from []