Aircraft ram scoops: Plesiosaurs had them first!
In addition to the dinosaurs, numerous other extinct reptile species have been found fossilised in Mesozoic sediments. Many of these were marine creatures, such as the dolphin-like ichthyosaurs and giant turtles like Archelon, which grew to over 12 feet in length.
The plesiosaurs (or `ribbon reptiles') constitute another important marine group present in the Mesozoic rocks. Two major types of plesiosaur have been identified. First, there were the long-necked (plesiosauroid) varieties, such as Elasmosaurus and Plesiosaurus. Secondly, there were the short-necked (pliosauroid) varieties, such as Kronosaurus. These animals were obviously well designed for their marine existence. They were equipped with a streamlined body shape, and powerful paddles which were their main means of propulsion. That creatures appear to be well designed for their particular ecological niche has long been a strong argument in favour of creation.
A study of a pliosauroid skull from the Lower Jurassic sediments of Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, has given us further good evidence of intelligent design in these creatures (Cruickshank et al. 1991). The dorsal external nostrils of plesiosaurs have usually been thought to be an adaptation to breathing - in other words, for sampling air. However, following their study of a Rhomaleosaurus megacephalus skull, Cruickshank et al. suggest instead that the nostril system was used for underwater smelling (olfaction) - in other words, sampling water. They describe the intricate design of the external and internal nostril system, explain how it probably worked, and make the following interesting comment:
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`The internal naris [nostril] strongly resembles the NACA Duct (National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) design of air scoops on aircraft'(p.62)
REFERENCE
Cruickshank, A.R.I., P.G.Small and M.A.Taylor. 1991. Dorsal nostrils and hydrodynamically driven underwater olfaction in plesiosaurs. Nature. 352: 62-4.
Paul Garner (1993)
