The ancient sea that birthed Earth's most terrifying underwater giants
In short: Long before modern oceans were formed, a massive inland sea dominated North America. This video explores the prehistoric monsters that ruled these waters, from reptiles that could crush cars to fish capable of swallowing humans whole.
Roughly 80 million years ago, North America split into two distinct regions, Laramidia and Appalachia, due to the Western Interior Seaway. Measuring 600 miles across and exceeding 2,000 miles long, this water body hit maximum depths of 2,500 feet.
The seaway hosted a diverse ecosystem of prehistoric giants, including reptiles reaching 50 feet in length and predatory fish up to 20 feet long. These apex predators, alongside turtles as large as modern SUVs, created a world where today's marine predators would have been considered easy prey.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Largest Creatures To Ever Exist On Earth: Monsters of the Ocean
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