Paleontologists at the GAIA Center for Antarctic Research at the University of Magellan in Chile have discovered the first 4-meter-long ichthyosaur fossil in the Tyndall Glacier region of Patagonia, Chile
SANTIAGO, May 11 – Chilean scientists have successfully discovered one of the world's most complete ichthyosaur fossils, with an intact embryo, from the Tyndall Glacier in Chile's Patagonia region.
Paleontologists at the GAIA Center for Antarctic Research at the University of Magellan in Chile have discovered the first 4-meter-long ichthyosaur fossil in the Tyndall Glacier region of Patagonia, Chile
This well-preserved and pregnant ancient marine reptile is known to scientists as "Fiona." The 4-meter-long fossil will help scientists study the embryonic development of ichthyosaurs that roamed the oceans 9 to 250 million years ago.
Judith Pardo, the scientist who discovered the fossil, said the fossil was "the only pregnant ichthyosaur found on Earth 129 to 139 million years ago." "So it's very important."
Pardo, a paleontologist at the GAIA Center for Antarctic Research at the University of Magellan, discovered the fossil more than a decade ago, but the site's extreme climatic conditions, harsh terrain and remoteness make extraction a complex logistical challenge.
Scientists spent 31 days extracting the fossils and then transporting them out of the site by helicopter. Because the fossils are so intact, paleontologists say they had to extract five chunks weighing up to 200 kilograms to keep the bones intact.
The fossil is now being exhibited at the Rio Secco Museum of Natural History in southern Chile.
Paleontologist Judith Pardo Perez poses next to a four-meter-long ichthyosaur fossil she found in the Tyndall glacier region of Patagonia, Chile
Pardo said scientists also discovered 23 ichthyosaur specimens during the event, bringing the total number of discoveries in the Tyndall Glacier to nearly 100 and making the area one of the richest and best-preserved ichthyosaur sites on Earth.