Name:
Platypterygius (Greek for "flat wing"); pronounced PLAT-ee-ter-IH-gee-us
Habitat:
Shores of North America, Western Europe and Australia
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (145-140 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 23 feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Possibly omnivorous
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Streamlined body with long, pointed snout
About Platypterygius:
By the start of the Cretaceous period, 144 million years ago, most genuses of ichthyosaurs ("fish lizards") had long since died out. The fact that Platypterygius survived (and in numerous locations worldwide) has led some paleontologists to speculate that it wasn't a true ichthyosaur at all, meaning the exact classification of this aquatic reptile is far from set in stone.
Interestingly, a Platypterygius specimen has been unearthed containing the fossilized remnants of its last meal--which included baby turtles and birds. This is a hint that--just maybe--this presumed ichthyosaur survived into the Cretaceous because it had evolved the ability to feed omnivorously, rather than solely on marine organisms.
