What is Utatsusaurus?
Q: What is Utatsusaurus?
A: Utatsusaurus is the earliest-known form of an ichthyopterygian, which lived in the Lower Triassic period about 250–245 million years ago.
Q: How long was Utatsusaurus?
A: Utatsusaurus was nearly 3m (about 9 feet) long with a slender body.
Q: Where were the first specimens of Utatsusaurus found?
A: The first specimens of Utatsusaurus were found in the city of Utatsu-cho.
Q: In which countries have fossils of Utatusauraus been discovered?
A: Fossils of Utatusauraus have been discovered in both Japan and Canada, specifically Miyagi Prefecture, Japan and British Columbia, Canada.
Q: What makes it one of the most primitive types of ichthyosaur?
A: It has transitional features between its ancestral land-dwelling forms and more derived ichthyosaurs that make it one of the most primitive types of ichthyosaur.
Q: How did this animal swim compared to later forms?
A: Unlike more advanced forms, it had no dorsal fin and had a broad skull with a snout that gently tapered compared to more rounded ones seen in later forms. Its tail also had a long low fin, suggesting that it swam by undulation rather than using its paddles and tail like later forms did.
Q: Was any damage done to local museums during 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami?
A: Fortunately, no damage was done to local museums as the specimens were not there at the time when 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred.
