Ichthyosaur Paddle | Germany

Ichthyosaur sp. Early Jurassic (180 MYO) Posidonia Shale Holzmaden, Germany   Paddle approx. size: 14.25" x 4.75" Plate approx. size: 24.75" x 15.75" x 1" Plate on stand approx. size: 25" x 15.75" x 18.25" Custom metal stand included.   Due to the size of this specimen, it will be shipped in an internationally compliant wooden crate. Shipping costs will be calculated and billed after purchase. Please contact us if you need a specific shipping rate prior to purchase. You may opt in for in-store pickup to cut your shipping costs all together and pick up your specimen in person. You can pick up from our store location in Kemmerer, Wyoming, or we deliver to both the Denver Gem & Mineral show in the Fall and the Tucson Gem & Mineral show in the winter. For any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.   This paddle has been expertly prepared to reveal articulated bones and a ball joint in their natural positions. Ichthyosaurs are extinct marine reptiles that resembled swordfish and dolphins. Species varied in size from 1 to 20 meters (3 to 66 ft). They had torpedo-shaped bodies with long, needle-like jaws, large pectoral fins, and crescent-shaped tails. Their crescent-shaped tails allowed them to propel to high speeds in the water, indicating that they ate a fish diet. This has been backed up by examination of coprolites (fossil feces). At least some ichthyosaurs possessed a dorsal fin. Ichthyosaurs also had large eyes; some of the largest relative to body size of any organism. While they may have resembled swordfish and dolphins, they were in fact reptiles. They had lungs rather than gills, and had to surface to breathe. They were also warm-blooded and gave birth to live young.