paleonet New Varner Art

["Mike Everhart" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,
Just a quick note to announce two new Dan Varner pictures have been added to
the Dan Varner page at Oceans of Kansas Paleontology:
http://www.oceansofkansas.com/varner.html. The Varner picture on the opening
page of Oceans of Kansas has also been changed. As usual, Dan's artwork is
top notch!

The pictures include a Japanese _Mosasaurus_ which is based on the discovery
of remains on the northern island of Japan (Hokkaido), and a pod of
primitive (Triassic)  ichthyosaurs, (similar to _Utatsusaurus hataii_) which
were also discovered in Japan (Thank you, Prof. Minoura). I recently had the
opportunity to examine the type specimen of  _Utatsusaurus hataii_ at
Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, and to see several sets of plesiosaur
and mosasaur remains (and a Tylosaur from Kansas!) in the Museum of Natural
History at Hobetsu. http://www.htb.co.jp/hokkaido/en/hobetsu_en.html (yes,
that is an elasmosaur pictured at the bottom left of the page.... the town
of Hobetsu is very proud of their elasmosaur! ...)

Dan provided the paintings to me for use in my two week visit to Japan.  I
will be putting up a new webpage shortly with some pictures of the Japanese
marine reptile specimens and localities I was able to see.

Regards,

Mike Everhart
Adjunct Curator of Paleontology
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS
http://www.oceansofkansas.com