Ask Me Everything�

Which ancient lizard looks like a fish?

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Ichthyosaur

_means“fishlizard.

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Ichthyosaurs were marinę reptiles with streamlined bodies, paddlelike limbs, pointed snouts, and a taił fin. Some looked like swordfish, some were deep-diving squid eaters with huge eyes, and some were giant, sharp-toothed predators. Despite their success, they died out before the end of the Cretaceous, perhaps because of competition from new sharks.

Ichthyosaurs

01: Ichthyosaurs evolved during the Triassic.

Tell me morę: ichthyosaur anatomy

02: The first ichthyosaurs were smali—less than 3.3 ft (1 m) long.

03: Ichthyosaurs lived in oceans worldwide.

04: Ichthyosaurs lacked scales and had smooth, tight skin.

05: Ichthyosaurs did not come ashore to lay eggs. They had live young out at sea.

06: Ichthyosaurs did not rely on sonar like dolphins. They relied on sight and smell.

07: Later ichthyosaurs were probably warm-blooded.

Upper lobe (taił part):

Contained no bonę and was kept stiff by skin and muscle

Tali dorsal fin:

May have helped the animal stay stable

Forked taił: Flapped from side to side to propel the ichthyosaur through the water ■ ~"

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V-shaped notch:

Separated the upper and lower parts (lobes) of the taił

Lower lobe (taił part)

Contained the end part of the animal’s bony taił

Smali bind flippers:

Helped the ichthyosaur steer when swimming

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Some ichthyosaurs grew new fingers to broaden their paddles and new phalanges (finger bones) to lengthen them. Platypterygius had ten fingers per paddle, and some fingers were madę up of morę than 30 phalanges!

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