View Monster Fish-Lizard Here and In Person

April 21, 2008

The Nordic region's largest Mesozoic predator, the ichthyosaur, has made its public debut. The 39-feet-long fish-lizard is now on display for the first time. You can see it at Tromsø University Museum in Northern Norway, but here's a sneak peek.

The above image illustrates a relative of the monstrous Norwegian creature, which likely represents a new, as-of-yet unnamed, species. The Ichthyosauria were a large group of marine reptiles that roamed the world's oceans. The recently discovered specimen dates to 240 million years ago, so it is one of the more primitive ones from the Triassic. Based on what's known about its body structure, it undulated like an eel, using its four large flippers for steering and maneuvering. It probably ate squid-like cephalopods, fish and smaller reptiles. A bunch of cephalopod tentacle hooklet remains were still in the mammal's gut area, suggesting the ancient ancestors of squid and octopuses were its fave foods. The researchers believe this individual died suddenly, either from disease or just old age.

Its remains, shown here in situ at Botneheia Formation at Sauriedalen, Svalbard, lack the head and tail, which eroded away over time. (Note the shovel at the right. Archeology offers a good work out!)
Photo: Odile Wallenrath, Tromsø University Museum

And here's a map that provides a better idea of where the site is located. Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The island group is halfway between Norway and the North Pole. The red dot marks the spot where the ichthyosaur was found.

(Copyright: Norwegian Polar Institute)

Fans of the video game Half Life might recognize the below scene. No sound here, but you wouldn't have heard the guy screaming underwater anyway. For more info about real ichthyosaurs, check out the Ichthyosaur Page.