Name:
Grippia (Greek for "anchor"); pronounced GRIP-ee-ah
Habitat:
Shores of Asia and North America
Historical Period:
Early-middle Triassic (250-235 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About three feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Fish and marine organisms
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; bulky tail
About Grippia:
The relatively obscure Grippia--a small ichthyosaur ("fish lizard") of the early to middle Triassic period--was rendered even moreso when the most complete fossil of this genus was destroyed in a bombing raid during World War II. What we do know for sure about this aquatic reptile is that it was fairly small as ichthyosaurs go, and that it was probably omnivorous in its undersea habitat (it was once thought that its jaws were specialized for crushing mollusks, but some paleontologists disagree).
