Everything Dinosaur team members have prepared an exclusive Guizhouichthyosaurus scale drawing in preparation for the arrival of a new PNSO figure.  Guizhouichthyosaurus (G. tangae) is known from south and southwestern China.  It was a large ichthyosaur possibly a member of the Shastasauridae family.  This ichthyosaur is known from several, pancaked specimens.  Including near complete individuals.  Size estimates vary but some fossils indicate an adult animal length in excess of seven metres.

An exclusive Guizhouichthyosaurus scale drawing commissioned for use in a fact sheet about this large Triassic ichthyosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Guizhouichthyosaurus Scale Drawing

The scale drawing has been commissioned for use in a free fact sheet that will be sent out with the new PNSO Guizhouichthyosaurus figure. This marine reptile model is due in stock at Everything Dinosaur shortly.

To view the range of PNSO prehistoric animal models in stock: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.

An amazing specimen measuring 4.8 metres in length found in 2010 but not formally described until 2020 contained the remains of another marine reptile, a 4-metre-long thalattosaur (Xinpusaurus xingyiensis). This most likely represents the oldest record of megafaunal predation by a marine reptile and the oldest example of megapredation.

To read Everything Dinosaur’s blog post about this remarkable fossil discovery: New Study Reveals Oldest Example of Megapredation.

A Generalist Feeder

Guizhouichthyosaurus ate other prey items as well, as evidenced by a G. tangae specimen preserving fish bones as well as some bivalves in its stomach region.  Another specimen contained around a kilogram of gastroliths.  Gastroliths (stomach stones) in ichthyosaurs is rare.  It has been suggested that these stones were consumed accidently, perhaps during feeding on bivalves and worms on the seabed. The gastroliths were different to the surrounding fossil matrix.  This indicates that these stones were collected in a different environment from where the carcase of the animal settled.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We have encouraged PNSO to make more replicas of Chinese prehistoric animals.  The Guizhouichthyosaurus model is one of two ichthyosaurs coming into stock at Everything Dinosaur shortly.  We expect Guizhouichthyosaurus to arrive in a few weeks, the second figure Guanlingsaurus is expected in the early autumn.”

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Figures.