LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Jeffrey Martz is the curator of paleontology at The Museum at Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually have one of the most important collections in the world of fossils from the beginning of the age of dinosaurs,\u201d Martz said.<\/p>\n
Finding that collection inside the museum may take you some time, but it\u2019s so extensive, it\u2019s worth the walk. Martz says the collection features all sorts of fossils that have a connection to our area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of the most famous animals that we have in our collection, it\u2019s an animal called Postosuchus, which was actually named for the town of Post,\u201d Martz said.<\/p>\n
Inside this collection, you\u2019ll see fossils dating back to the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era. This is often refereed to as the \u201cage of reptiles\u201d, and the museum\u2019s newest exhibit looks to bring some of those fossils upstairs to showcase the period in a big way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis exhibit focuses on a group of animals called the Phytosaurs,\u201d Martz said, \u201cwhich are some of the first really large aquatic predators that we see in the fossil record.\u201d<\/p>\n
One look at these \u201cprehistoric predators\u201d and you may think they\u2019re like crocodiles. While they certainly behaved like crocodiles, they had distinct differences, including where their nostrils were located.<\/p>\n
Inside the exhibit, you\u2019ll also see just how big these creatures were in comparison to crocodiles, along with fossils that showcase the differences between a male and female Phytosaur.<\/p>\n