Cartorhynchus lenticarpus Motani et al., 2014
Reptilia
Diapsida
Neodiapsida
Ichthyosauromorpha
Ichthyosauriformes
Early Triassic
Nanlinghu Fm (Olenekian)
Anhui, China
Length: 40 cm
This is the smallest and most primitive known Ichthyosaur. It had a short snout and large flippers indicative of a possible amphibious lifestyle. Such large flippers would have indeed allowed some limited displacement on land. It was probably a suction feeder.
November 6, 2014
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