Paul Garner

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The Biblical Creation Society

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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 ~liosauroid) varieties, such as Kronosaun's. These animals were obviously well designed for their marine existence. They were equipped with a streamlined body shape, and powerfiil paddles which were their main means of propulsion. That creatures appear to be well designed for their particular ecological niche has long been a str~ng argument in favour of creation. A study of a pliosauroid skull from the Lower Jurassic sediments of Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, has given us fi~rther 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 foilowing interesting comment: The internal naris [nostril] strongly resembles the NACA Duct ~ational Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) design of air scoops on aircraft'(p.62) Thus, the Creator of the plesiosaurs evidently preempted modern aeronautic experts when He equipped these animals with ram scoops as part of their underwater olfaction system!

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