Eurhinosaurus
Genus of leptonectid ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic period
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Key Takeaways
- Eurhinosaurus (Greek for 'well-nosed lizard'; eu- meaning 'well or good', rhino- meaning 'nose' and -saurus meaning 'lizard') is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic (Toarcian), ranging between 183 and 175 million years.
- Eurhinosaurus were large-bodied, with a fossil of an adult individual reaching 7 metres (23 ft) in length.
- They inhabited the open ocean.
- That specimen had an exceedingly slender and elongated muzzle, but the skull was crushed, preserving few characteristics.
- Since the diagnostic features were so unclear, scientists at that time were not able to name this specimen.
Eurhinosaurus (Greek for 'well-nosed lizard'; eu- meaning 'well or good', rhino- meaning 'nose' and -saurus meaning 'lizard') is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic (Toarcian), ranging between 183 and 175 million years. Fossils of this genus have been found across Western Europe, such as in England, southern and northern Germany, the Benelux, France and Switzerland.
Eurhinosaurus were large-bodied, with a fossil of an adult individual reaching 7 metres (23 ft) in length. A distinctive feature of the genus is that their upper jaws protruded past their lower jaws (comparable to billfish) and were covered with up and downwards-pointing teeth. They inhabited the open ocean.
History and discovery
The name Ichthyosaurus longirostris was first published by Gideon Mantell in 1851 in a guide to the paleontological galleries of the old British Museum, to name one of the displayed ichthyosaurian specimens. That specimen had an exceedingly slender and elongated muzzle, but the skull was crushed, preserving few characteristics. The specific name, longirostris, was just affixed to the specimen. Since the diagnostic features were so unclear, scientists at that time were not able to name this specimen.
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