The remains of the most ancient ichthyosaurs were found on a remote island in the Arctic

Swedish and Norwegian paleontologists managed to discover the remains of the oldest known ichthyosaurs, which are also called fish lizards. The tail vertebrae of these creatures were located near hunting lodges on the island of Svalbard in the Arctic. Study published in the journal Current Biology.

Ichthyosaurs are an extinct species of marine reptile with a fish-like body shape reminiscent of modern whales. They are believed to have evolved from land mammals and first ventured into the open sea after the Permian Extinction (about 252 million years ago). First, these predators invaded the shallow coastal environment, and over time, their paws turned into flippers and they began to swim much further.

However, this theory has now been challenged. Experts analyzed the rocks where the new fossils were found and concluded that approximately 250 million years ago it was a muddy seabed. It is believed that at that time ichthyosaurs had not yet moved into the ocean.

In addition, scientists have not found any signs indicating their land origin. The structure of the vertebrae turned out to be almost identical to the samples of later relatives, who lived only in the sea.

In other words, ichthyosaurs most likely never walked the earth. Also, researchers are no longer sure of the timing of their origin. Perhaps they appeared much earlier than it is believed.