Fossils of some of the largest creatures to ever swam the Earth’s oceans—whale-sized marine reptiles called ichthyosaurus— were found in an unusual place: on top of three mountains in the Swiss Alps, 2,740 meters above sea level.
Scientists described this Thursday (28) the fossils of ribs and vertebrae of two individuals of the genus ichthyosaurus: one of them is 21 meters long and the other is approximately 15 meters.
They also described the largest tooth ever found from a third individual. ichthyosauruswith a base 6 centimeters wide and an estimated length of 15 centimeters, indicating that it would be a feared predator.
The fossils, which date to about 205 million years ago, near the end of the Triassic period, place the three individuals found among the largest ichthyosaurus that once inhabited the oceans, at a time when dinosaurs began to dominate the terrestrial environment.
“The tooth is particularly interesting as it could possibly — but is unlikely — represent the largest animal to ever inhabit Earth,” said University of Bonn paleontologist Martin Sander, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. .
He was found on top of the Chrachenhorn mountain near Davos. In line with the fact that a ichthyosaurus The 18-meter-long tooth found last year had a tooth with a 2-centimeter base, Sander said, “so a 6-centimeter-long tooth could possibly come from an animal that is 54 meters long.”
The animal was probably not that big, but still formidable, perhaps similar to a sperm whale, feeding on giant squid and large fish, as well as ichthyosaurus minors. Other individuals of the same genus apparently lacked teeth, and sucked and swallowed smaller fish and squid.
