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Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22"
Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22" Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22"

Ichthyosaur, Stenopterygius quadriscissus - 22"

$14,000.00 USD

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This breathtaking Ichthyosaur (a marine reptile) is a spectacular find from the Holzmaden Shale near Stuttgart, Germany, a fossil locale renowned for its incredibly preserved specimens. This ichthyosaur once inhabited warm Jurassic seas that teemed with a variety of ammonites, crinoids (sea lilies) and many fish species. 

Considerable time and skill was needed to reveal this specimen from the matrix - meticulous, specialized labour in a German preparatory facility.

Ichthyosaurs made their first appearance on this planet as land dwelling reptiles that braved the oceans before there were dinosaurs. They were the dominant predators of the Mesozoic for 157 million years. Their size range was remarkable: some species were only 70 centimetres long (close to the size of the present day marine iguana from the Galapagos) to giants upwards of 20 meters! 

TAXONOMY 

  • Domain: Eukaryota
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class:  Reptilia
  • Order: Ichthyosauria
  • Family: Stenopterygiidae
  • Genus: Stenopterygius
  • Species: S. quadriscissus


GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

  • Formation: Holzmaden Shale
  • Location: Holzmaden, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
  • Age: Lower Jurassic (approximately 180 million years old)


PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

  • Slab dimensions: 22 x 15.25 in (55.9 cm x 38.7 cm)
  • Weight: 
  • Custom metal stand included
  • Please contact us about shipping arrangements