Prehistoric last meal: beast found in marine reptile's stomach

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About 240 million years ago, a massive marine reptile swallowed another, slightly less massive reptile and died shortly thereafter. The larger creature—a dolphin-like reptile known as an ichthyosaur—then fossilized with the smaller animal in its belly.

The team say the larger fossil, nearly 5 metres in length, is the remains of an ichthyosaur – marine reptiles with a long snout, similar in appearance to a dolphin – while the smaller fossil within it is the middle section of a species called Xinpusaurus xingyiensis, a type of marine reptile known as a thalattosaur that was usually about 4 metres long.

The international team of researchers say the ichthyosaur, Guizhouichthyosaurus, was not previously thought to have been a top predator. But the findings suggest otherwise, revealing its last meal was a creature larger than an adult human.

“I agree with the authors that [Xinpusaurus] was likely captured live rather than scavenged, but maybe [the thalattosaur] was not a healthy individual,” Dr Nick Fraser said.

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[Guest]

So weird. They just keep swallowing each other down there in the water. Chill!!!!!!!!