Ichthyotitan fossil map
Where fossils of Ichthyotitan have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 201 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 201 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ichthyosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 205.7–201.4 million years ago (Rhaetian) |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Shastasauridae |
| Named by | Lomax et al. 2024 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom |
| Rock formations | Westbury |
About Ichthyotitan
Ichthyotitan ( IK-thee-ə-TY-tən) is an extinct genus of giant ichthyosaur from the Late Triassic (Rhaetian), known from the Westbury Mudstone Formation in Somerset, England. It is believed to be a shastasaurid, extending the family's range by 13 million years up to the latest Triassic. The discovery of Ichthyotitan has been considered evidence that shastasaurids were still thriving until their disappearance in the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event.
The genus contains a single species, I. severnensis. It is known from two fragmentary surangular bones of the lower jaw, discovered in separate places in 2016 and 2020. Other specimens throughout Western Europe have been linked to the species based on similar osteological features, although their affiliation is uncertain. Estimates scaling up the bones from other ichthyosaur species put Ichthyotitan's body length at nearly 25 metres (82 ft), which would make it the largest marine reptile currently known.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ichthyotitan (revision 1363940861), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q125509005.
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