Dinosaurs & Prehistory - Prehistoric marine predators - Prehistoric marine life - Reptiles - Animal records - Triassic
Which is probably considered the largest scientifically described marine reptile in Earth's history?
Correct!
Ichthyotitan severnensis was a gigantic ichthyosaur that lived around 202 million years ago at the end of the Triassic in what is now England. It was not a dinosaur, but a reptile from the ichthyosaur group that was completely adapted to the sea. To date, no complete skeleton is known for Ichthyotitan. Huge parts of the lower jaw are particularly important. A better-preserved specimen suggests a lower jaw bone more than two meters long. Through comparisons with related ichthyosaurs, the researchers estimated the animal's total length to be approximately 25 meters. The first description published in 2024 therefore described Ichthyotitan severnensis as probably the largest marine reptile formally described to date. However, because this size is based on fragmentary material, it should be understood as a reasonable estimate and not as an exact measured length.
According to its scientific description, Ichthyotitan is considered to be probably the largest formally described marine reptile, although its size is estimated from fragments.
