An international team of researchers has discovered a pregnant ichthyosaur fossil in Chilean Patagonia, providing new insights into this ancient species. The fossil, nicknamed Fiona, is approximately 131 million years old and was found in Torres del Paine National Park near the Tyndall Glacier.
The remarkably well-preserved skeleton has allowed researchers to study its anatomy, reproductive biology, and ecology. The 50 cm-long fetus was found in a position suggesting it was in the final stages of prenatal development.
Researchers have identified the specimen as belonging to the genus Myobradypterygius hauthali, previously described from fragments found in Argentina. This discovery fills a 70-million-year gap in the fossil record of this species.
The find includes fossilized fish remains, indicating Fiona's diet, and an unusual pathology on one of her fins, suggesting a possible injury or illness. The Tyndall Glacier site has yielded 87 ichthyosaur fossils, making it the largest site of Hauterivian ichthyosaurs globally.
Despite their dolphin-like appearance, ichthyosaurs are not related to dolphins. They inhabited the Earth from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous, between 250 and 93 million years ago.