Excavated on Thursday by Palaeontologist Paul Stumkat - Kronosaurus Korner, visiting Palaeontologist Dr Stephen Poropat of Sweden's Upsalla University and Gary and Barb the specimen, which measures 160 cm has a completely preserved body section with tiny paddles only 14 cm long. A complete intact specimen like this has never before been discovered in Australia and is a first for Ichthyosaur research in Australia. 

 

Adult Ichthyosaurs grew to around 7 m length and are renowned throughout the scientific world for bearing live young. An Ichthyosaur specimen of Platypterigius longmani in Kronosaurus Korner museum exhibits evidence of a number of young still in abdominal cavity /uterus region.

 

This kind of preservation is testimony of the incredible level of preservation of Cretaceous fossils that exist in the Richmond region. 

 

Further preparation of this fantastic specimen will assist in the understanding of growth rates and physical changes in a giant marine reptile that was very successful in the inland ocean of Queensland 110 million years ago. 

 

The specimen is currently being prepared and can be viewed through the Kronosaurus Korner Laboratory window situated in the gallery 2 Kronosaurus Korner.