Oceans of Montana

Shallow seas once covered what are now the dry badlands of Montana. Fossilized remains of marine reptiles provide evidence of what life was like in these oceans.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• montana
• dinosaurs
• western
• interior
• seaway
• pat
• druckenmiller
• museum
• of
• the
• rockies
• jack
• horner

[MismeretMonk]

I don't get it. On the map whole Montana is covered by the Western Interior Seaway. But, during the Cretaceous period there lived Triceratops and Tyrannosaurs etc. in Montana right? Or did they lived on small islands in the Seaway?

[paleoed]

You're right, this map does make it look like MT is underwater! The Seaway covered parts of MT, but the area it covered changed over time due to fluctuations in climate. During parts of the Cretaceous, large areas of MT were covered with water, but during the part from which we find Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus, what is now E. MT was NOT covered by water. Those areas were near the coast-probably similar to areas like the FL Everglades today. We should have chosen a clearer map!

[MismeretMonk]

Thanx, now I understand.

[MismeretMonk]

Jack Horner is getting old.