Ichthyosaur Rostrum Fossil with Teeth

This is a superb partial rostrum (jaw) of an Ichthyosaur known as Ichyosaurus communis, one of a line of ‘fish lizards” whose morphology was convergent upon the modern-day porpoises. It used its lunate tail fro propulsion and its broad fins (the genus derives its name for the word broad) to maintain trim and for steering. To date, no ancestral reptile that gave rise to the Ichthyosaurs has been found. We do know that the early ones had five digits in each fin which later progressed by the addition of accessory digits with many phalanges. I. communis was a small-sized Ichthyosaur at an average of 2 meters in length, while some specimens were known to reach 5 meters. The last example of an ichthyosaur was that of Platypterygius found in 93.5 million year old deposits in Bavaria, marking the end of a line that began in the Triassic, a reign of some 160 million years. Why they became extinct while the Plesiosaurs persisted up to the end-Cretaceous extinction event over 25 million years later is a mystery. This specimen has many, many teeth displayed in lateral view, most in an unrestored state. This is an exceptional specimen, a bargain when one considers the going price for a SINGLE tooth is upwards of $100.