• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English
  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Europe
  4. Ancient marine reptile tooth discovered in Swiss Alps
Europe

Ancient marine reptile tooth discovered in Swiss Alps

  • By Al Mayadeen net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Apr 09:35

The fossils of 3 giant marine reptiles have been found in the Swiss Alps.

  • Illustration of an enormous ichthyosaur hunting in the Triassic seas (Dr. Heinz Furrer)
    Illustration of an enormous ichthyosaur hunting in the Triassic seas (Dr. Heinz Furrer)

The bones of three ichthyosaurs – huge marine reptiles that roamed primordial waters – were unearthed high in the Swiss Alps, including the biggest ever tooth known for the species, according to research published Thursday.

The specimens were discovered during geological investigations between 1976 and 1990 but were just recently thoroughly investigated.

The prehistoric leviathans weighed up to 88 tons and grew to 20 meters long, which makes them the largest animals to have ever existed.

They originally originated in the early Triassic period 250 million years ago, and a smaller, dolphin-like variety lived until 90 million years ago. However, the vast majority of the species, the ichthyosaurs, went extinct 200 million years ago.

According to Martin Sander of the University of Bonn, the paper's lead author in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, unlike dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs left behind no fossil remains, which he describes as "a great mystery."

They were discovered at a height of 2,800 meters. The three swam in the waters around the supercontinent Pangea throughout their lives, but the fossils kept rising owing to plate tectonics and the folding of the Alps.

Previously, it was considered that ichthyosaurs exclusively lived in the deep ocean, but the rocks from which the new fossils were discovered are thought to have been at the bottom of a shallow coastal region. Some of the giants may have followed schools of fish there.

There are two distinct groups of skeletal remains. One consists of 10 rib pieces and a vertebra, implying a 20-meter-long animal, about comparable to the biggest ichthyosaur yet discovered in Canada.

According to the seven vertebrae discovered, the second animal measured 15 meters.

Sander divulged that the tooth, "is particularly exciting," due to it being "huge by ichthyosaur standards: Its root was 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) in diameter - the largest specimen still in a complete skull to date was 20 millimeters and came from an ichthyosaur that was nearly 18 meters long."

  • The ichthyosaur tooth is 4 inches long (100 mm) and missing part of its crown.
    The ichthyosaur tooth is 4 inches long (100 mm) and missing part of its crown.

While this may imply a monster of epic proportions, it's more likely to have originated from an ichthyosaur with exceptionally massive teeth than a very enormous ichthyosaur.

According to current studies, severe gigantism is incompatible with a predatory lifestyle that necessitates the use of teeth.

Sanders said that as a result, "Marine predators therefore probably can't get much bigger than a sperm whale," adding that more fossils would need to be found to be absolutely sure.

  • Switzerland
  • swiss alps
  • fossils

Trending Now

All
Impeccably preserved Jurassic fish fossils found on UK farm

Well preserved Jurassic fish fossils found on UK farm

Most Read

David Hirsh – An asset of the Zionist regime

David Hirsh – An asset of the Zionist regime

  • Feature
  • 16 Aug
China: Will it now Toss Caution to the Wind?

China: Will it now Toss Caution to the Wind?

  • Analysis
  • 15 Aug
A US soldier sits in an armored vehicle in Manbij, northern Syria, in 2018 (AP Photo)

US troops loot 89 oil tankers from Syria, smuggle them into Iraq

  • MENA
  • 14 Aug
Dried-up Tille River in Lux, France (AP)

Climate crisis causes Tille river to become mass grave for fish

  • Europe
  • 12 Aug

Read this

All
UN criticizes 'arbitrary' Israeli move of raiding Palestinian NGOs.
Palestine

UN slams Israeli move of closing Palestinian NGOs as 'arbitrary'

  • Today
Germany's Scholz faces grilling over tax fraud scandal.
Europe

Tax fraud scandal lands Germany's Scholz in hot water

  • Today
North Korea rejects Seoul's aid-for-denuclearization offer.
Asia

North Korea slams Seoul's recycled aid offer as 'foolish'

  • Today
A photo of Lake Mead (AP)
US & Canada

Bodies surfacing as water recedes at gangsters 'paradise', Lake Mead

  • Today
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS