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Adaptations for stealth in the wing-like flippers of a large ichthyosaur

Lindgren, Johan LU ; Lomax, Dean R. ; Szász, Robert Zoltán LU ; Marx, Miguel LU orcid ; Revstedt, Johan LU ; Göltz, Georg ; Sachs, Sven ; De La Garza, Randolph G. LU ; Heingård, Miriam and Jarenmark, Martin LU , et al. (2025) In Nature 644(8078). p.976-983
Abstract

With their superficially shark-like appearance, the Mesozoic ichthyosaurs provide a classic illustration of major morphological adaptations in an ancestrally terrestrial tetrapod lineage following the invasion of marine habitats1, 2–3. Much of what is known about ichthyosaur soft tissues derives from specimens with body outlines4, 5–6. However, despite offering insights into aspects of biology that are otherwise difficult to envisage from skeletal evidence alone (such as the presence of a crescentic fluke), information on their soft parts has hitherto been limited to a taxonomically narrow sample of small- to dolphin-sized animals2,4, 5–6. Here we report the discovery of a metre-long front flipper of the... (More)

With their superficially shark-like appearance, the Mesozoic ichthyosaurs provide a classic illustration of major morphological adaptations in an ancestrally terrestrial tetrapod lineage following the invasion of marine habitats1, 2–3. Much of what is known about ichthyosaur soft tissues derives from specimens with body outlines4, 5–6. However, despite offering insights into aspects of biology that are otherwise difficult to envisage from skeletal evidence alone (such as the presence of a crescentic fluke), information on their soft parts has hitherto been limited to a taxonomically narrow sample of small- to dolphin-sized animals2,4, 5–6. Here we report the discovery of a metre-long front flipper of the large-bodied Jurassic ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus, including unique details of its soft-tissue anatomy. In addition to revealing a wing-like planform, the fossil preserves a serrated trailing edge that is reinforced by novel cartilaginous integumental elements, herein denominated chondroderms. We also document chordwise-parallel skin ornamentations and a protracted fleshy distal tip that presumably acted like a flexible winglet in life. By integrating morphological and numerical data, we show that the observed features probably provided hydroacoustic benefits, and conclude that the visually guided7,8Temnodontosaurus relied on stealth while hunting in dim-lit pelagic environments. This unexpected combination of control surface modifications represents a previously unrecognized mode of concealment, and underscores the importance of soft-tissue fossils when inferring aspects of palaeoethology and predator–prey palaeoecology.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature
volume
644
issue
8078
pages
8 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:40670791
  • scopus:105010776046
ISSN
0028-0836
DOI
10.1038/s41586-025-09271-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
id
e9090ca3-bb2c-4db7-bf17-b44a823cd5b1
date added to LUP
2025-10-13 14:26:25
date last changed
2025-10-17 14:03:09
@article{e9090ca3-bb2c-4db7-bf17-b44a823cd5b1,
  abstract     = {{<p>With their superficially shark-like appearance, the Mesozoic ichthyosaurs provide a classic illustration of major morphological adaptations in an ancestrally terrestrial tetrapod lineage following the invasion of marine habitats<sup>1, 2–3</sup>. Much of what is known about ichthyosaur soft tissues derives from specimens with body outlines<sup>4, 5–6</sup>. However, despite offering insights into aspects of biology that are otherwise difficult to envisage from skeletal evidence alone (such as the presence of a crescentic fluke), information on their soft parts has hitherto been limited to a taxonomically narrow sample of small- to dolphin-sized animals<sup>2,4, 5–6</sup>. Here we report the discovery of a metre-long front flipper of the large-bodied Jurassic ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus, including unique details of its soft-tissue anatomy. In addition to revealing a wing-like planform, the fossil preserves a serrated trailing edge that is reinforced by novel cartilaginous integumental elements, herein denominated chondroderms. We also document chordwise-parallel skin ornamentations and a protracted fleshy distal tip that presumably acted like a flexible winglet in life. By integrating morphological and numerical data, we show that the observed features probably provided hydroacoustic benefits, and conclude that the visually guided<sup>7,8</sup>Temnodontosaurus relied on stealth while hunting in dim-lit pelagic environments. This unexpected combination of control surface modifications represents a previously unrecognized mode of concealment, and underscores the importance of soft-tissue fossils when inferring aspects of palaeoethology and predator–prey palaeoecology.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lindgren, Johan and Lomax, Dean R. and Szász, Robert Zoltán and Marx, Miguel and Revstedt, Johan and Göltz, Georg and Sachs, Sven and De La Garza, Randolph G. and Heingård, Miriam and Jarenmark, Martin and Ydström, Kristina and Sjövall, Peter and Osbæck, Frank and Hall, Stephen A. and Op de Beeck, Michiel and Eriksson, Mats E. and Alwmark, Carl and Marone, Federica and Liptak, Alexander and Atwood, Robert and Burca, Genoveva and Uvdal, Per and Persson, Per and Nilsson, Dan Eric}},
  issn         = {{0028-0836}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{8078}},
  pages        = {{976--983}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature}},
  title        = {{Adaptations for stealth in the wing-like flippers of a large ichthyosaur}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09271-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41586-025-09271-w}},
  volume       = {{644}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}