FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles living 145 million years ago, mainly during the Early Jurassic period. It is named 'fish lizard' in Greek by Henry De la Neche and William Conybeare. It was first discovered in the early 19th century by Mary Anning in England. The name for the marine reptiles group, ichthyosaurs, was first put to use by Charles Konig in 1818. Almost all fossil ichthyosaurs during the 19th century were attributed to the Ichthyosaurus marine reptile, due to which the genus had 50 species by 1900. These species were subsequently moved to separate genera and used interchangeably with other species. They were built for speed and paddled with their tails, fins, and short fingers. They were predators from the Ichthyosauria group animals that breathed air without gills.
For more relatable content, check out these Tylosaurus facts and Mesosaurus facts for kids.
Ichthyosaurs, belonging to the order Ichthyosauria or Ichthyopterygia, are large extinct marine reptiles. The group ichthyosaur belonged to the Early Jurassic period animals.
Ichthyosaurus pronunciation is 'Ick-thee-oh-sore-us'.
The Ichthyosaurus is a fish lizard-like marine reptile in the genus of ichthyosaurs from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic of Europe.
The remains of the family of this Ichthyosaurus allow us to estimate that these dinosaurs lived in the world during the Hettangian to Sinemurian of the Jurassic period. The geographical distribution of ichthyosaurs and their fossil is from almost the entire Mesozoic era. However, they are the most abundantly found animals from the Triassic and Jurassic periods.
The geographical distribution of the Ichthyosaurus skeleton and their fossils are from almost the entire Mesozoic Era. However, they are most abundantly found from the Triassic and Jurassic periods and spread diversely. They are known to have gone extinct about 145.5 million years ago. They went extinct due to climatic changes in the early Late Cretaceous period.
According to the discovery of the Ichthyosaurus fossil, it has been concluded that the species must have lived in what what is modern-day Europe including, Belgium, England, Germany, and Switzerland. They went extinct from these areas about 145.5 million years ago.
The Ichthyosaurus lived mostly in a marine environment and in the oceans. Although their ancestors were said to be terrestrial, they were mostly marine. They were different from dinosaurs, but they did live at the same time as many of them.
Ichthyosaurus lived through the Middle to the Early Jurassic period with other dinosaur species like Oviraptor, Segnosaurus, Khaan, and Tarbosaurus.
Ichthyosaurus dinosaurs are believed to have lived until 145.5 million years ago. The exact life span of this species is still unknown, but there are some instances where remains have dated back 95 million years ago, meaning some were alive even during the Middle Cretaceous.
Surprisingly, unlike many other fishes, reptiles, and even dinosaur species that did not give birth, the reproduction technique of this dinosaur was viviparous. They gave birth to live young ones. However, this was not very uncommon in Mesozoic Era reptiles. They gave birth through their tail canal, which allowed the young ones to get accustomed to external climatic conditions.
The Ichthyosaurus was not as large as the other creatures of the group. They ranged up to 11 ft (3.3 m) in length. Ichthyosaurus fossils had baby specimens that were well-preserved and fully articulated. This led to the conclusion that the marine reptile was not oviparous. Jurassic ichthyosaurs had an enormous caudal fin placed on their back. It also had a fleshy dorsal fin. The morphology of ichthyosaurs suggests that they had distinct humerus and coracoids than the other ichthyosaurs of the Lower Jurassic Ichthyosaurus. They can be distinguished from other ichthyosaurs because they had five forefingers.
Ichthyosaurus skin specimens and bone fossils have been recovered at places. The features show no clear distinction in the dorsal fin, but features of the caudal fins are quite prominent. The body was rather streamlined, with bones mostly arranged in the same fashion.
It is unknown how exactly the Ichthyosaurus communicated with each other or with dinosaurs of other species. It is believed that dinosaurs used to communicate by hissing, grinding mandibles against upper jaws, rubbing scales together, clapping their jaws together, and by the use of environmental materials like splashing against water. According to the same assumption, it is believed that the head crests of some species were also used to amplify grunts or bellow. It is thought that dinosaurs communicated vocally and visually. These two modes of communication would have been most used during defensive posturing, courtship behavior, and territory fights.
The exact measurements regarding an Ichthyosaurus' height and length are unknown. However, the Ichthyosaurus' specimen size is estimated to be about 6 ft (1.8 m) long, but the largest individuals measure up to 11 ft (3.3 m) long.
The Ichthyosaurus was a fast swimmer that steered itself using a well-developed tail. It fed on marine and aquatic creatures, which made it a necessity for it to have speed. It had a streamlined body that also assisted in swimming well.
The Ichthyosaurus weight, based on the classification of the specimen collected, is estimated to have weighed around 200.6 lb (91 kg).
Female and male Ichthyosaurus dinosaurs are not given any different names.
Since the Ichthyosaurus reproduced by giving birth, they are simply referred to as live young ones.
Ichthyosaurus' were mainly carnivores, or more precisely, piscivores. They fed on small fish, squids, and other sea and aquatic creatures. They breathed air but lacked gills. They could not survive on land due to their body adaptation as well as dietary preferences.
They were quite fast and aggressive when compared to other reptiles. Their dietary needs and survival in the oceans led them to be quite fierce in combat.
The ancestor of the Ichthyosaurus group is believed to have been terrestrial. They were even believed to be oviparous and breathe air on land. The later ones adapted to survive in the ocean and another marine environment, but the earlier belief that they laid eggs was contradicted even for the ancestors. Female fossils show young ones in the tail canal and this finally helped scientists understand the preserved young ones. They were also later discovered to be pelagic, meaning they didn't come to the land at all. The lack of gills, the front like the dolphin, and the streamlined structure helped them survive completely in ocean waters.
Ichthyosaurus anningae specimens were first found in the early '80s in Dorset, England. This reptile is named after Anning. The fossil was then acquired by the Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery and was first described in the modern age in 2015. Initially, the article was misidentified as a plaster cast. Dean Lomax and Judy Massare in 2008 established the article as a different species altogether.
The streamlined structure and the head with a small snout looked like a dolphin superficially, however they are not related to it. The dolphin is supposed to be a mammal, while the Ichthyosaurus was unmistakenly a reptile. It was also not related to the Ichthyosaurus dinosaur as previously thought due to its contemporaries.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Arizonasaurus interesting facts and Cymbospondylus surprising facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable water dinosaur coloring pages.
Second image by Ballista
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.