This is Baptanodon, an ichthyosaur which lived during the middle and late parts of the Jurassic Period about 165-155 million years ago. During this time, the central part of North America was covered with a body of saltwater known as the Sundance Sea, and Baptanodon was one of the creatures that swam in this inland ocean. It measured 20 feet long, it had freakishly huge eyes, and, as far as I have been able to learn so far, it had small teeth only in the front half of its mouth while the rear half was completely toothless. The presence of grooves running along the sides of its jaws indicate that it probably had lips and the teeth would not have been visible when the mouth was closed.

Baptanodon was closely related to the European ichthyosaur Ophthalmosaurus. In fact, for a while it was believed that Ophthalmosaurus and Baptanodon might be the same animal. However, phylogenic studies indicate that they are indeed separate.

Baptanodon shared its habitat with numerous other forms of marine life including oysters, ammonites, belemnites, hybodont sharks, as well as the 20 foot long plesiosaur Pantosaurus and the 25 foot long pliosaur Megalneusaurus.

This drawing was made on printer paper with No. 2 pencil, Crayola colored pencils, and Prismacolor colored pencils.

Baptanodon. © Jason R. Abdale. August 12, 2020.

Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized

Tags: America, ammonite, Baptanodon, belemnite, Europe, hybodontid, Hybodus, ichthyosaur, Jurassic Period, Late Jurassic, Megalneusaurus, Mesozoic, Middle Jurassic, Morrison Formation, North America, Ophthalmosauridae, Ophthalmosaurus, paleo-art, paleontology, Pantosaurus, plesiosaur, pliosaur, reptile, shark, Sundance Formation, Sundance Sea