Prehistoric global warming wiped out the ichthyosaur, a toothy, dolphin-like reptile that disappeared from Earth’s oceans tens of millions of years before the last dinosaurs, researchers said Tuesday. Paleontologists have long scratched their heads over the abrupt disappearance of these apex predators, sometimes called sea dragons, after an impressive 157-million-year deep-sea reign. They were a successful family of marine reptiles – widespread and with many genetically diverse sub-species, which is generally a portender of future success.

Climate change wiped out prehistoric 'sea creature'. (2016, March 10). Manila Bulletin, p. B-8.