Mysterious ichthyosaur: fossil discovered in Baden-Württemberg!

Mysterious ichthyosaur: fossil discovered in Baden-Württemberg!

In an impressive discovery, paleontologists have found a fossil of the ichthyosaur Trachelosaurus fischeri in Baden-Württemberg. This silent giant predator lived around 247 million years ago and brings exciting new insights into the evolution of marine reptiles. Trachelosaurus fischeri is believed to be the oldest long-necked marine dinosaur in the world and has now attracted the attention of scientists studying its unique anatomical profile.

The researchers, led by Dr. Stephan Spiekman, Dr. Eudald Mujal and Prof. Dr. Rainer Schoch from the Stuttgart Natural History Museum are doing good business with their fossil find. The fossil, originally described in the 20th century, comes from the Red Sandstone layers of the Middle Triassic in Bernburg an der Saale and can be found on loan at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. Its exact assignment to a reptile species was initially controversial because the skeleton was poorly preserved.

A window to the past

The Trachelosaurus fossil offers a fascinating look at the period after the mass extinction 252 million years ago. At this time, the diversification of new reptile species, including the first long-necked marine dinosaurs, flourished. It is believed that this ichthyosaur was washed into a shallow water area long ago, which can be deduced from footprints of land animals found in the rock at the same time.

The unique properties of the fossil not only provide information about the Trachelosaurus itself, but also contribute significantly to the understanding of the marine ecosystems at the beginning of the Triassic period. The research also includes the analysis of Dinocephalosaurus fossils from China, which clarifies the relationship between different dinosaur species. The results of this study were published in the “Swiss Journal of Palaeontology”.

The importance of historical collections

This discovery underscores the strengthening of the potential importance of historical collections for natural history research. “By reassessing the fossil, we have gained valuable insights into the early phase of marine reptiles,” said a scientist on the team. Preservations such as that of Trachelosaurus fischeri show how important it is not only to preserve such traces of the past, but also to research them.

For the region and the scientific community, this is a remarkable discovery that not only enriches historical knowledge, but also inspires people to explore and evaluate their own, often undiscovered, treasures. Curiosity about what undiscovered wonders the earth still holds remains alive and could provide many more exciting insights in the future. For more information about the fossil and related studies click [here]( MIRROR ). Further details are also included gwf-wasser.de to find.