BBC NEWS ONLINE: Prehistoric reptile's last meal revealed

Press/Media: Research

Description

The fossil of a marine reptile that lived 199 million years ago has been identified as a newborn that ate squid as its last meal.

The reptile was an ichthyosaur, which gave birth to live young.

It belongs to the group Ichthyosaurus communis, which was the first species of ichthyosaur to be recognised by science in 1821.

The "exceptional" specimen is the first juvenile of its species to be identified, say researchers.

The reptile had remnants of squid inside its stomach when it died.

Period	3 Oct 2017

Title	Prehistoric reptile's last meal revealed
Media name/outlet	BBC News Online
Media type	Web
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
Date	3/10/17
Description	The fossil of a marine reptile that lived 199 million years ago has been identified as a newborn that ate squid as its last meal. The reptile was an ichthyosaur, which gave birth to live young. It belongs to the group Ichthyosaurus communis, which was the first species of ichthyosaur to be recognised by science in 1821. The "exceptional" specimen is the first juvenile of its species to be identified, say researchers. The reptile had remnants of squid inside its stomach when it died.
URL	www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41432538
Persons	Dean Lomax