Platypterygius
Platypterygius was a large ichthyosaur (not a dinosaur) which grew
to 6 or 7 metres long. It inhabited the inland sea between 110 and 100
million years ago. Fossils of this animal are amongst the most common of the large
marine reptiles found in Queensland. Platypterygius was a fast and agile
swimmer. It swam by moving its tail from side to side and steered with
paddles or fins. It gave birth to live young. It would have eaten squid, fish
and ammonites. The fossil remains of a hatching and its mother were
discovered in Queensland in 1988. The name Platypterygius means broad-fin.
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