Ancient Ichthyosaur Fossil Discovered in New Zealand

Paleontologists in New Zealand have uncovered a 98-million-year-old partial skeleton of a platypterygiid ichthyosaur from the Cretaceous period, marking the most complete ichthyosaur fossil found in the country. This discovery, located in the Waiau Toa/Clarence valley, adds to the understanding of ichthyosaur diversity and suggests regional differences among Gondwanan Cretaceous ichthyosaur populations. The findings, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, highlight the ichthyosaur's unique anatomical features and its relation to other species in Eastern Gondwana.