Ichthyosaur fossil

• Scientists in India have discovered a 152 million-year-old fossil of an ichthyosaur - an extinct marine reptile - in the western state of Gujarat.
• This is the first time an ichthyosaur fossil has been discovered in India.
• The fossil was found inside rocks from the Mesozoic Era, which ran between 252 and 66 million years ago, in the Kutch desert.
• Only parts of the skull and tail bones were found to be missing.
• This is a remarkable discovery not only because it is the first Jurassic ichthyosaur record from India, but also it throws light on the evolution and diversity of ichthyosaurs in the Indo-Madagascan region and India's biological connectivity with other continents in the Jurassic

About Ichthyosaur:

• Fossil records of ichthyosaurs, which means 'fish lizards' in Greek, have been found in North American and Europe previously. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, they have mostly been limited to South America and Australia.
• Researchers including those from the University of Delhi and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany have found what they believe to be the first Jurassic ichthyosaur in India, from the Kutch area in Gujarat.
• The near-complete skeleton, nearly 5.5 metre long, is thought to belong to the Ophthalmosauridae family, which likely lived between around 165 and 90 million years ago.
• It was found among fossils of ammonites and squid-like belemnites, and its tooth wear patterns suggest it predated such hard, abrasive animals.

By: Vishal