Lot 1468
Huge 210 Million Year Old Aquatic Reptile. Ichthyosaurs were a fast swimming marine reptile that have been extinct for more than 100 million years and somewhat resembled dolphins in shape. Their bodies were built for speed like a dolphin but their skeleton was very different. The earliest ichthyosaurs were much more reptile-like with longer thinner bodies and smaller fins and paddles. Mixosaurus panzianensis, found in the 210 million year old Guaning Formation of Panxian County, China, is one of the earliest and most primitive of ichthyosaurs. It had a long thin body with heavy vertebrae and a straight reptile-like tail. This 21.5 inch long specimen is more complete than most specimens even though the ribs and some of the leg bones are disarticulated, but its vertebrae, tail and parts of all four paddle bones are present. The large skull is 5 inches long with several sharp teeth still present and Mixosaurus had very large eyes which may indicate that it swam at great depths in search of prey. The 1 inch long paddles are just reptile feet with a few extra phalanges extending their length to create paddles for swimming and steering. This rare and important early ichthyosaur fossil is nicely centered on a 23 x 11.5 inch black stone matrix, backed for stability as the matrix is somewhat fragile and the recovered specimens always come out in a number of pieces. There is 10-15% restoration on some of the teeth, but overall the specimen is one of the finer fossils available of this rare primitive ichthyosaur.
Add $75 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,500.
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