Hector's Ichthyosaur

Hector's Ichthyosaur, or the New Zealand Ichthyosaur is an unidentified, extinct genus of ichthyosaur discovered in 1874 which remains have been lost, it may be the largest animal ever to have existed.[1] It was named by Richard Lydekker in honor of James Hector.[2]

Description

Based on the 45 centimetre vertebrae of the ichthyosaur and its likely placement in Shastasauridae, it is possible that it reached twice the size of Shastasaurus and may have even outsized the Blue Whale which is otherwise believed to be the largest known animal .[3] The animal would have likely resembled related taxon like Shastasaurus in appearance.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Browse journals by subject". Dx.doi.org. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  2. ↑ Merriam, John C. (1908). Triassic Ichthyosauria: With Special Reference to the American Forms. The University Press. pp. 154–. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Browse journals by subject". Tandfonline.com. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
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