First ichthyosaur fossil found in Denmark discovered in Thy

The first known ichthyosaur fossil in Denmark has been found in a loose boulder at Lodbjerg Cliff in Thy, DR reports, citing a statement from the State Natural History Museum.

The find adds to knowledge of the reptiles’ distribution in Scandinavia. Previously known Scandinavian ichthyosaur fossils have come from Arctic Norway, suggesting the animals were also present in the region’s south.

“Although we have found only one vertebra, we can identify it as an ichthyosaur,” said Laura Cotton, an associate professor and curator for Danekræ at the museum. “The find gives us new knowledge about ichthyosaurs in the region and is an important contribution to our understanding of marine life in the past.”

Researchers believe glaciers may have transported the fossil to the west coast of Jutland, but the boulder’s precise origin is unknown. Their assessment is based on the bone’s appearance, the stone’s composition and the area’s geological history. Cotton said they had compared it with other boulders in the museum’s collections that were transported there during the ice age.

Ichthyosaurs were an extinct group of marine reptiles that lived in the world’s oceans from about 250 million years ago until just over 100 million years ago. They descended from land-dwelling reptiles and evolved into efficient swimmers. Some species had body shapes resembling modern tuna or dolphins.