恐龍卡第 1644 張，共 2 027 張

Shonisaurus

吃：肉魚龍類三疊紀晚期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Shonisaurus was a giant marine reptile that swam in the oceans during the Triassic Period. It was not a dinosaur, but a kind of ichthyosaur, with a long body and flippers. It could grow as long as a gray whale!1

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

234 到 201 百萬年前4

三疊紀晚期

化石發現地

Fossils have been found in Nevada, USA, and also in Italy and Germany.2 4

長度

15 到 21 m (49 到 69 ft)2 1

體重

21.6 公噸到 81.5 公噸 (47,600 到 179,700 lb)3

最高速度

時速約 25 公里（16 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 14 頭大象一樣重

跟 5 台汽車排成一排一樣長跟 120 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 16000 顆西瓜一樣重跟 100 整班小學生一樣重能在 7.2 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Shonisaurus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Shonisaurus 時速約 25 公里 (16 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Shonisaurus had a very long body with about 60 vertebrae before its hips, making it look a bit like a giant sea serpent.1

Its tail had only a slight bend, not a strong one like many other ichthyosaurs, so it may have swum differently.1

Adult Shonisaurus may have lost their teeth, because teeth are only found in young fossils. Scientists think adults might have sucked up food instead of biting.2

Its flippers were long and slender, with only two or three main fingers, unlike many other ichthyosaurs.1

Shonisaurus lived about 233 to 201 million years ago, during the Late Triassic.2

About 40 Shonisaurus skeletons have been found in Nevada, but many are incomplete and poorly preserved.1

Shonisaurus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Shonisaurus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Shonisaurus 最常被問的問題

?How big was Shonisaurus?

Shonisaurus popularis was about 13.5 to 15 metres long and weighed 21.6 to 29.7 metric tons. The species Shonisaurus sikanniensis was even larger, reaching 21 metres and 81.5 metric tons.3

?Was Shonisaurus bigger than a blue whale?

No, Shonisaurus was smaller than a blue whale. The largest Shonisaurus was about 21 metres long, while blue whales can reach over 30 metres.3

?What did Shonisaurus eat?

Shonisaurus was a raptorial predator that ate vertebrates and shelled mollusks like cephalopods, and possibly even large-bodied prey. Its teeth were robust and sectorial, good for cutting.3

?Did Shonisaurus have teeth?

Yes, Shonisaurus had teeth in all life stages. Earlier scientists thought adults lost their teeth, but newer finds show teeth throughout the jaws.3

?When did Shonisaurus live?

Shonisaurus lived during the Late Triassic, about 227 million years ago, in the late Carnian to Norian stages.3

?Where were Shonisaurus fossils found?

Most Shonisaurus fossils were found in the Luning Formation of Nevada, USA. Other possible fossils have been found in Canada and Alaska.3

?Is Shonisaurus a dinosaur?

No, Shonisaurus is not a dinosaur. It is an ichthyosaur, a type of marine reptile that lived in the oceans.3

?Could Shonisaurus swim fast?

Nobody knows for sure, but its long, slender flippers and slight tail bend suggest it swam differently from other ichthyosaurs. It may not have been a fast swimmer.1

迷思破解王

迷思： Some people think Shonisaurus was a dinosaur because it lived in the sea and looked like a sea monster.

真相： Shonisaurus was not a dinosaur. It was an ichthyosaur, a group of marine reptiles that lived at the same time as dinosaurs but were a different group.2

給恐龍專家

學名: Shonisaurus
命名者: Camp 19764
類群: 魚龍類
科 / 演化支: Shastasauridae4
分類: Ichthyosauria > Ichthyosauromorpha4
岩石的年代: 234 到 201 百萬年 (Carnian / Rhaetian)4
岩層: Luning, Durrenstein, Exter4
國家: 美國, 義大利, 德國4
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 5 筆4
發現: Shonisaurus was named by Charles L. Camp in 1976, based on fossils from Nevada, USA. The first fossils were found in the Luning Formation.2
仍有爭議: Scientists still debate how big Shonisaurus really got, with estimates ranging from 15 to 21 metres, and whether it had teeth as an adult.2 1