Scientists in India have made a groundbreaking discovery, that of an ichthyosaur fossil in Gujarat. It¡¯s the first time a complete fossil of this now extinct creature has been found in the country.
Images courtesy: Guntupalli VR Prasad
The ichthyosaur (Greek for ¡°fish lizard¡±) was a marine reptile that lived between 157 to 152 million years ago. The fossil was discovered inside rocks dating back to the Mesozoic Era, in the Kutch desert, making it the first Jurassic sea monster discovered in the region.
Prof Guntupalli VR Prasad, who led the expedition, said the 5.5m-long specimen was almost complete, with only parts of the skull and tail bones missing.
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"This is a remarkable discovery not only because it is the first Jurassic ichthyosaur record from India, but also it throws light on the evolution and diversity of ichthyosaurs in the Indo-Madagascan region and India's biological connectivity with other continents in the Jurassic," Prasad told the BBC.
The team composed of scientists from India and Germany, came across the fossil south of the village of Lodai in Gujarat last year. Since then, they¡¯ve been studying the fossil to determine if there was ever an ocean channel between India and South America.