Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea (Life of the Past)

This revised and updated second edition of Oceans of Kansas presents the latest interpretations and fossil discoveries related to the vast inland sea that covered central North America during the Age of Dinosaurs. The shallow waters supported giant sharks, mosasaurs, pteranodons, and toothed birds. Their well-preserved remains generated significant scientific interest when discovered in the 1860s and continue to produce new findings over 150 years later. Michael J. Everhart documents the history of these discoveries across decades and describes these ancient animals and their environment—including the waters, shores, and skies of America's prehistoric inland sea. The book synthesizes material on extinct marine reptiles in an accessible, nontechnical format and serves as a resource for fossil collectors in the region and those studying the history of vertebrate paleontology.