Ancient Sea Monsters: Misidentified Fossilized Skeletons Now Revealing Hidden History of Ichthyosaur
The fossilized skeletons of strange creatures—odd, beaked fish with teeth and ‘feet’—were uncovered by quarry workers in southwestern England in the early 1800’s. Dubbed “fish lizards” (or Ichthyosauria) at the time, the old discoveries are now under new examination. These ancient sea monsters, specimens collected from across Europe, are apparently not one animal type, but many different unique species. Resembling a cross between fish and dolphins, ichthyosaurs dominated the world's oceans from 250 million years ago to about 90 million years ago. In similar evolutionary circumstances to modern whales and dolphins, it’s thought the ancestors of ichthyosaurs were land reptiles that returned to the sea. They thrived until they became extinct during the Late Cretaceous for reasons unknown. They lived
