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Intact marine reptile fossil recovered from glacier in Chilean Patagonia

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Chilean scientists have successfully recovered one of the most complete ichthyosaur fossils in the world, with intact embryos, in the Tyndall Glacier in Chile’s Patagonia region.

The preserved and pregnant ancient marine reptile was nicknamed “Fiona” by scientists. The 4-meter-long fossil will help the team study the embryonic development of ichthyosaurs, which roamed the seas between 90 million and 250 million years ago.

According to Judith Pardo, the scientist who made the discovery, the fossil “is the only pregnant ichthyosaur found on the planet” and must have lived between 129 million and 139 million years ago. “That’s why it’s incredibly important,” she said.

Pardo, a paleontologist at the Gaia Antarctic Research Center at the University of Magallanes, discovered the fossil more than a decade ago, but the site’s extreme weather, rugged terrain and distance made extraction a complex logistical challenge.

Scientists spent 31 days extracting the fossil, which had to be transported by helicopter off the site. Because the fossil was so complete, paleontologists said they had to extract five blocks weighing 200 kilograms to keep the bones intact.

The fossil is being prepared for display at the Rio Seco Natural History Museum in southern Chile.

Pardo said scientists also discovered 23 ichthyosaur specimens during the campaign, bringing the total to nearly 100 found in Tyndall Glacier and making the region one of the most abundant and well-preserved ichthyosaur sites on the planet.

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