In Depth Contectopalatus was originally described as a species of Ichthyosaurus, the type genus of the Ichthyosauria that in the early days of palaeontology was treated as a catch all wastebasket taxon for any and all ichthyosaur fossils. Later study saw Ichthyosaurus atavus assigned to the Mixosaurus genus upon the grounds of overall similarity to … Read more
In Depth The holotype specimen of Excalibosaurus was discovered in 1984, and consisted of partial remains of a skull and some of the post cranial skeleton such as ribs, vertebrae, forefin and an incomplete pectoral girdle. When pieced together these remains recreated an individual that was estimated to have been up to four meters long, … Read more
In Depth Protoichthyosaurus is a genus of small ichthyosaur that lived during the early Jurassic, though possibly also in the Late Triassic. Further Reading - The affinities of Liassic and later ichthyosaurs. Palaeontology 22(4):921-946. - R. M. Appleby - 1979. - The taxonomic utility of forefin morphology in Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs: Protoichthyosaurus and Ichthyosaurus. - … Read more
In Depth Thalattoarchon was a genus of primitive ichthyosaur that stands out as one of the earliest marine reptiles to be an apex predator of large aquatic organisms. What this means is that rather than focusing upon small prey like shoaling fish and squid like smaller ichthyosaurs, Thalattoarchon most probably hunted the smaller ichthyosaurs themselves … Read more
In Depth Catutosaurus is a genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur that lived in waters around South America during the late Jurassic. Ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs like Catutosaurus were among the most successful marine reptiles of that time with fossils of them being found all over the world. Further reading - Catutosaurus gaspariniae , gen. et sp. nov. (Ichthyosauria, … Read more
In Depth Muiscasaurus is a genus of opthalmosaurid ichthyosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous. Opthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs like Muiscasaurus are thought to have been specialists that hunted in deep water where there was very little light. Further Reading - A new ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Colombia. - Papers in Palaeontology. - E. … Read more
In Depth In 1959 a fossil hunter named Brian Shawcross found a few portions of what was once an ichthyosaur some 175-182 million years before. Shawcross donated this find to the Hunterian museum in Glasgow, Scotland, but for over fifty years the fossils were just listed as those of an ichthyosaur. Then in 2015 a … Read more
In Depth Himalayasaurus was named after the Himalaya Mountains where the holotype material was first discovered. The description of Himalayasaurus was based upon very incomplete post cranial remains and most interestingly teeth that were unlike any other Triassic aged ichthyosaur that had been seen at the time. These teeth were larger, more flattened and with … Read more
In Depth Palvennia is a genus of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur that is noted for having a very short rostrum. The orbit (skull opening for the eye) also seems quite large, though the original describers have noted that this may be due to the specimen being crushed while it was being fossilised. Ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs are noted for … Read more
In Depth Stenopterygius is yet another example of a genus that once had a large number of species assigned to it only for most of these to now be regarded as synonyms to other previously named species. In addition while some of the remains of one species, S. hauffianus were reassigned to the type species … Read more