Author: Paul Scofield, Adjunct Professor in Palaeontology, University of Canterbury

Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that swam in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs. They evolved separately around 250 million years ago, possibly from a crocodile-like ancestor, to resemble fish and modern dolphins. Then, they went extinct around 94 million years ago. Ichthyosaurs resembled modern dolphins. Dmitry Bogdanov, CC BY-SA In 2010, palaeontologist James Crampton discovered a partial ichthyosaur skeleton while working on Coverham Station in the Clarence Valley, inland North Canterbury. This specimen dates back to the Cenomanian stage during the Late Cretaceous epoch just under 100 million years ago. The skeleton was encased within a hard concretion and…