PSA: be more creative with your marine reptiles!

Many of you probably heard about how we know the color of many extinct animals from looking at fossilized pigments. Usually feathered creatures like Microraptor, Sinosauropteryx, and Anchiornis.

However, we also know the coloration of a couple of marine reptiles, as mentioned in this article. Mosasaurs were countershaded, light on top and dark on the bottom. Ichthyosaurs, on the other hand, were dark all over, like a sperm whale.

This study implies that mosasaurs were mostly surface hunters, while ichthyosaurs hunted in deeper and darker depths. (The fact that many ichthyosaurs, like Ophthalmosaurus, had large eyes for seeing in the dark supports this even more.)

But modern marine animals come in more varieties of color than that!

Yes, the countershading and dark all over colors are certainly common in modern day cetaceans...but they also have many variations on those colors as well.

For instance, look at the yellow patches on this common dolphin.

There's also the striking and distinctive spotted dolphin.

And even cetaceans that DO use countershading are often times creative with it. Like orca whales, for instance. Who can forget that famous white patch over their eye?

And then there's the interesting colors pinnipeds come in, with variations of brown, gray, black, and white with spots and stripes. I especially like the pattern on this ringed seal.

And who said we have to stick to mammals?

The animal most famous for using countershading would have to be the penguins. But the only species that has the typical boring "black and white" color without any interesting patterns is the Adelie penguin.

Emperor and king penguins are famous for that orange pattern on their necks.

Chinstrap penguins are named for that distinctive stripe on their chin, and Gentoo penguins have very noticeable white eyebrows. Almost all of the tropical penguin species such as Humboldt, Galapagos, and African penguins have patterns on their bellies. And the little blue penguin from Australia is famous for its blue-gray coloration instead of the typical black.

And even the few surviving marine reptiles come in interesting colors! Look at sea snakes. The most famous species is the yellow-bellied sea snake, so-named for its...well, yellow belly.

And sea kraits are known for those black bands on their bodies.

Mosasaurs are related to snakes. Hint hint.

So, what does this mean for our marine reptiles?

From looking at modern day marine animals, we can be certain that, while the typical countershaded or black all over individuals aren't uncommon, many species are much more creative than that.

So, tell me I'm not the only one who wants to see a yellow plesiosaur, or a striped ichthyosaur, or a pink pliosaur, or a spotted mosasaur.

Have fun, paleoartists!