Paleontologists have identified a new species of ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that swam the oceans during the age of dinosaurs, from fossils discovered in a Jurassic clay pit in Mistelgau, Germany.
The animal has been named Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis, honoring the fossil-rich Mistelgau locality in Upper Franconia where the remains were uncovered.
The discovery highlights the scientific importance of the site, which continues to produce remarkable finds from a time period that is not well documented elsewhere.
The study was led by Gaël Spicher, a doctoral student at the JURASSICA Museum in Porrentruy, Switzerland, together with researchers from Switzerland and Germany.
Their findings have been published in the open-access journal Fossil Record.
Excavations at the Mistelgau clay pit have been ongoing since 1998, carried out by the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken in Bayreuth.
The museum not only recovered the fossils but also prepared them for scientific study. One of the specimens of the new species was discovered in a so-called “belemnite battleground,” a dense layer of fossilized cephalopod remains.
These deposits are characteristic of the site and provide valuable clues about the marine ecosystems of the Jurassic period.
Ichthyosaurs were highly adapted marine reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs but were not dinosaurs themselves.
Their streamlined bodies made them strong swimmers, and their appearance resembled modern dolphins or tuna. They could grow to impressive sizes, with some species reaching lengths of over 20 meters.
Eurhinosaurs, the group to which this new species belongs, are known for their dramatically elongated snouts, with the upper jaw extending well beyond the lower. This unusual feature, resembling the bill of a swordfish, likely gave them an advantage when hunting prey in the open seas.
Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis shares this striking “overbite,” but what makes it stand out from other known eurhinosaurs is its skeleton.
The researchers found that its ribs were unusually robust compared to other species, and the bones in the joint connecting its skull and neck had distinctive features as well.
These anatomical differences were enough to justify the naming of a completely new species.
“The naming of a new species emphasizes the significance of the Urwelt-Museum Oberfranken’s fossil collections for understanding Jurassic marine ecosystems,” said Dr. Serjoscha Evers, the museum’s director, who was not involved in the study.
“The Mistelgau site continues to provide rare insights into a time period that is otherwise scarcely documented worldwide.”
The discovery is more than just a new name on the evolutionary tree. The Mistelgau material opens doors to further research that could reveal details about how these marine reptiles lived and survived.
Planned studies include examinations of injuries preserved in the skeletons. These could show evidence of predator attacks, disease, or accidents, offering rare glimpses into the daily struggles of ichthyosaurs in Jurassic seas.
For now, Eurhinosaurus mistelgauensis adds an important piece to the puzzle of marine life during the Jurassic, about 180 million years ago.
Its robust body and distinctive features remind us that even in groups as well-studied as ichthyosaurs, there is still much left to discover beneath the layers of ancient seabeds.
