Platypterygius, meaning “flat fin”, was a genus of ichthyosaur which lived during the middle of the Cretaceous Period approximately 115-95 million years ago. It was one of the last ichthyosaurs to exist before the entire group went extinct. Traditionally treated as a “wastebasket taxon” by paleontologists, multiple species have been ascribed to this genus since the name was coined in 1922. Many of these species have since been reclassified as separate genera. At the moment, only four of these species are recognized by science: P. americanus, P. australis, P. hercynicus, and P. platydactylus. Depending on which species you are referring to, the creature ranged in size from 15-23 feet long.

Below is an illustration of the species Platypterygius americanus which lived in the Mowry Sea which covered the center of North America during the middle of the Cretaceous Period. Its fossils have been found in Wyoming within rock layers dated to the Albian and Cenomanian Stages of the middle Cretaceous. This particular species of Platypterygius is estimated to have reached 18 feet long.

Platypterygius americanus. © Jason R. Abdale (January 29, 2024).

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Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized

Tags: America, art, Australia, Cretaceous Period, Europe, France, Germany, ichthyosaur, marine, Mesozoic, Middle Cretaceous, Mowry Sea, North America, paleo-art, paleontology, Platypterygius, Prehistoric, reptile