Ichthyosaurus (Safari)

Though it was quite dolphin-like in appearance, the Ichthyosaurus is actually a marine reptile, living in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic Period. These sleek creatures grew up to 11 feet long, and gave birth to live young.

History: Ichthyosaurus was discovered by the paleontologist Mary Anning in the 1800s. Many complete or nearly complete remains have allowed scientists to have a good idea of how this reptile looked in life. Ichthyosaurus resembled a modern day dolphin, despite being a reptile and not a mammal. This is an example of convergent evolution.

Scientific Name: Ichthyosaurus (“Fish Lizard”)

Characteristics: This Icthyosaurus toy figure may look like a dolphin, but it was actually a reptile! This figure features the characteristic long snow, large eyes, wide flippers, and shark-like tail of these unique marine prehistoric reptiles.

Size: This Ichthyosaurus toy is 7 ½ inches long and 2 ½ inches to the top of its dorsal fin. It’s about the size of a pair of scissors.