British scientists accidentally discovered the remains of a giant ichthyosaur that lived 180 million years ago.
The size of the fossil amazed and shocked paleontologists. Previously, researchers had not found such large remains belonging to sea lizards.
Experts reported that the length of the ichthyosaur’s skeleton is 10 m, and the total weight exceeded a ton. In addition to the dimensions, paleontologists were interested in how well the remains of the extinct animal were preserved.
The unusualness of the find lies in its geography: usually the remains of ichthyosaurs are found in North America and Germany.
The fossil was found by accident when specialists were working on the landscaping of the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, reports.
Ichthyosaurs are also called “sea dragons.” Animals that resemble dolphins inhabited the waters of the Earth 250-90 million years ago.
