Scientists discover monster marine reptile fossil with ‘arsenal of teeth’ – CNET [CNET]

November 30, 2021 Thomas Giboney technology

The new species, which was found in central Colombia, is named Kyhytysuka sachicarum. Kyhytysuka comes from the indigenous Muisca language and translates to “the one that cuts with something sharp.” The team published a study on the fossil this month in the Journal of Systemic Palaeontology.

McGill released an animation showing what the ichthyosaur might have looked like swimming about with its teeth out. It’s not the sort of thing you would want to run into if you were a prey animal.

Kyhytysuka was alive during the Early Cretaceous after an extinction event at the end of the Jurassic period. “We are discovering many new species in the rocks this new ichthyosaur comes from,” said lead author Dirley Cortes, a graduate student at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “We are testing the idea that this region and time in Colombia was an ancient biodiversity hotspot and are using the fossils to better understand the evolution of marine ecosystems during this transitional time.”