Australian Ichthyosaur (Platypterygius longmani)
Ichthyosaur.
Illustration: A Musser © Australian Museum.
Lived: 110 million years ago (early Cretaceous)
Size: Length (head to tail): 7m
Description: The Australian Ichthyosaur was a large, dolphin-shaped reptile that lived in the Eromanga Sea - an inland sea that covered vast areas of inland Australia 110 million years ago. A fast swimmer, the Australian Ichthyosaur propelled itself with sideways sweeps of its tail, using its fins to steer. It hunted and ate fish, squid and other marine invertebrates. It may also have eaten smaller ichthyosaurs. Ichthyosaurs have no close relatives alive today.
Fossils: Fossils of the Australian Ichthyosaur have been found in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Fossils of most of the skeleton and the skull have been found.
Did you know?: Like other ichthyosaurs, the Australian Ichthyosaur probably gave birth to live young.
