The sculpture produced by the scientists. Credit: Johan Joelsson
Geologists at Lund University in Sweden have actually mapped 300 years of research on the prehistoric marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs. Utilizing an uniquely unspoiled fossil, the team has actually also developed the scientifically the majority of current reconstruction of an ichthyosaur currently readily available..
Fish lizards, or ichthyosaurs, were an extremely effective group of animals that, much like todays whales, migrated from land to the oceans where they thrived for about 160 million years. These dolphin-like reptiles lived from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous, about the very same time as dinosaurs ruled the Earth..
The fish lizards, who sustained themselves on a diet of turtles and octopuses, to name a few things, have actually left an abundant fossil record. This consists primarily of teeth and bones, but recently the discovery of soft tissues– such as skin, muscles, fat, and pigment– has actually opened up new chances for understanding the biology and ecology of these animals..
In a new research study published in Earth-Science Reviews, a group of geologists at Lund University has actually examined existing fish lizard research study– something that will benefit future paleontologists.
Teacher Mats Eriksson, sculpture artist Esben Horn and researcher Johan Lindgren with the sculpture. Credit: Johan Joelsson.
” This research history covers 300 years. It is worth noting that the term ichthyosaur was coined in 1814, i.e. practically 30 years before the term dinosaur,” says Mats E. Eriksson, teacher of paleontology at Lund University.
Based upon the worlds collective knowledge of these prehistoric animals, as well as difficult and soft fossil parts, the researchers employed the assistance of the Danish sculpture business 10 Tons, to produce a scientifically appropriate life-size reconstruction.
” Our reference point was a fish lizard that was found in Holzmaden, Germany. This fossil has formerly been the topic of a comprehensive research study on the biology and pigmentation of fish lizards, which I did together with Mats and a number of other coworkers, and was published in Nature,” explains Johan Lindgren, geology scientist at Lund University.
A range of strategies, consisting of clay sculpturing and 3D printing, were used in the work, something that took just over a year. The sculpture effort, which could be performed with assistance from the Crafoord Foundation, intends to reflect the present state of research study. The sculpture is now on show and tell at the Department of Geology in Lund.
” Our reconstruction is the scientifically most modern-day, and ideally correct, analysis of what these animals looked like. It will be valuable for students and scientists who wish to find out more about the iconic fish lizard,” concludes Mats E. Eriksson.
Referral: “An evaluation of ichthyosaur (Reptilia, Ichthyopterygia) soft tissues with implications for life reconstructions” by Mats E. Eriksson, Randolph De La Garza, Esben Horn and Johan Lindgren, 14 February 2022, Earth-Science Reviews.DOI: 10.1016/ j.earscirev.2022.103965.