Leptonectes is a genus of ichthyosaur that lived in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (Rhaetian - Pliensbachian). Fossils have been found in Belgium, England, Germany and Switzerland.

 Leptonectes was a genus of small carniverous marine reptiles that belonged to the order of Ichthyosauria. They lived during the Late Triassic Period to the Early Jurassic Period. Fossil specimens of Leptonectes have been found in such places as Switzerland, Belgium, England, and Germany.

 Leptonectes tenuirostris is the scientific name of an ichthyosaur species which attained a maximum body length of 4 metres. Remains of a specimen of this species were discovered in 1999. Micro- and macrofossils permitted to determine the age of this ichthyosaur. Accordingly, this specimen is approximately 190 million years old (Late Pliensbachian, Early Jurassic) and therefore the youngest specimen that was assigned to the genus Leptonectes. The species Leptonectes tenuirostris itself advanced to the stratigraphically longest-living ichthyosaur species of post-Triassic age.

 The embedding of this ichthyosaur posed many interesting problems: the 3-dimensionally preserved skull of this marine reptile was found sticking vertically, like a dart, in sedimentary rock. These layers do not normally contain any articulated skeletons. How could such a „curious” fossil be formed? Unusual methods of interdisciplinary research and collaboration gave the answers to the enigma on the embedding and fossilization of the “Hauensteiner Dickschädel”: Forensic and veterinary medicine, gynaecology, marine biology, computer tomography and technical knowledge from submarine designing were used besides classical methods of geology and palaeontology. These studies led straight towards very basic questions on the fossilization of vertebrates and the compaction characteristics of marine sediments.

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Tags: Вымершие рептилии, Триас, диапсиды, ихтиозавры, ихтиоптеригии

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