Complete Triassic Ichthyosaur

Species; Ichthyosaurus

Period; Late Triassic - Carnian Stage

Date; 225 million years

Site; Wayao Member, Falong Formation, Guanling County, Guizhou Province, China.

The name Ichthyosaur means "fish-lizard", and is an apt description for these sea-going reptiles that predated the earliest dinosaurs by some 20 million years, appearing some 250 million years ago (mya). Ichthyosaurs disappeared some 90 mya, about 25 million years before the dinosaurs became extinct. During the early Triassic, ichthyosaurs evolved from as-yet unidentified land reptiles that moved back into the water, in a development parallel to that of modern-day dolphins and whales.

This spectacular specimen is preserved in the ventral state in a remarkable 3-D manner as the photos show. It is remarkably complete, with the bones in a wonderful state of articulation. The dark-gray to black marly mudstone was capable of preserving the finest details of various marine reptiles and the well-known crinoid Traumatocrinus. The deposits are thought to have formed at depths in excess of 500 meters in an anoxic environment.

Complete museum sized specimen which will make a unique wall mounted display piece. Very original piece with repair and mounted in a temporary frame, the skull is a deep 3D example standing approx 3/4"/20mm above the slab.

Over slab size approx. 28 1/4"/720mm x 13 1/4"/335mm upto 1 1/8"/30mm thick

Specimen measures approx. 28"/710mm from the tip of the rostrum to the end of the tale, measured along the backbone.