Researchers from the University of Manchester unearthed a 13-foot pregnant ichthyosaur fossil from a melting glacier deep in Patagonia. According to IFL Science, it was the first complete ichthyosaur found in Chile and is in an incredible state of preservation unlike anywhere else in the world.
Dr. Dean Lomax, a paleontologist and author of the study, said that the considerable number of ichthyosaur fossils found in the area provide a unique window into the past.
Fiona the Pregnant Ichthyosaur
The team named the pregnant ichthyosaur Fiona who likely died 139 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. The expedition led by The University of Magallanes (UMG) recovered the remains from the melting ice in the Tyndall Glacier area of the Chilean Patagonia.
In a news release from The University of Manchester, Dr. Judith Pardo-Pérez, the first female paleontologist to lead an expedition of such magnitude, said the results met all expectations and have even given them more than they expected.
"At 4 meters [13 feet] long, complete, and with embryos in gestation, the excavation will help to provide information on its species, on the palaeobiology of embryonic development, and on a disease that affected it during its lifetime," Pardo-Pérez said in a statement.
Meet “Fiona”, Chile’s first complete ichthyosaur, a pregnant mother recovered from a glacier in Patagonia!
— Dr Dean Lomax (@Dean_R_Lomax) May 10, 2022
I’m thrilled to have been part of this incredible expedition led by my good friend and colleague, Dr @judkasan (pictured) from The University of Magallanes (@umagallanes). pic.twitter.com/rclwMEQZxA
They helicoptered Fiona's remains out of the glacier for study. They were able to trace her to the Valanginian-Hauterivian age during the Early Cretaceous period. Ichthyosaurs are warm-blooded marine reptiles that closely resemble dolphins and swordfish due to their long rostrum and pointed teeth.
Dr. Erin Maxwell, a team member of the expedition and curator of marine reptiles and fossil fishes for Stuttgart's State Museum of Natural History, said few marine reptile fossils from this time period worldwide and those that they have are from Europe.
Finest Early Cretaceous Ichthyosaur
The expedition lasted for 31 days and was geared toward finding, extracting, and carefully wrapping the fragile fossil remains they found from the retreating glacier. According to Vice, this year's expedition was one of the more than ten trips Pardo-Pérez has made to the Tyndall fossil site since 1997.
They built a hangar over Fiona to protect her remains from the elements and used diamond tools to easily drill and break the hard rocks surrounding her body. These tools are tougher than the usual hammer, chisel, lump, and brush.
To date, Fiona is the only known-to-science specimen of a pregnant ichthyosaur from that period, making it the first-of-its-kind fossil excavated in Chile. Pardo-Pérez added that Fiona and the other 23 ichthyosaur specimen they found are the finest early Cretaceous ichthyosaur fossil in the world. The fossils will now contribute to the research into the nature of these ancient marine reptiles.
On the other hand, she is concerned about the other ichthyosaur fossils that perhaps will never be retrieved because it is difficult to access the risky areas where the fossils were round. She hopes those fossils will be protected as they are subjected to everyday erosion.
The team hopes to obtain results on the diversity, disparity, and palaeobiology of ichthyosaurs from the Tyndall Glacier to evaluate how they lived and evolved, which could help establish paleobiological connections with ichthyosaurs to other species.
RELATED ARTICLE: Earth's First Giants: Ichthyosaurs Evolved Into Massive Marine Reptiles Faster Than Whales
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