Leptonectes fossil map
Where fossils of Leptonectes have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 190 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 190 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 | 205.7–182.9 million years ago (Rhaetian to Toarcian) |
| Periods | Triassic, Jurassic |
| Named by | McGowan 1996 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 12 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria |
| Rock formations | txn:NF, Charmouth Mudstone, Blue Lias, Posidonia Shale, Ethe, Kössener Schichten |
About Leptonectes
Leptonectes is a genus of ichthyosaur that lived in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (Rhaetian - Pliensbachian). Fossils have been found in Belgium, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. A possible specimen from Switzerland first reported in 2006, has been reclassified as that of Hauffiopteryx. The type species, L. tenuirostris, reached 4 metres (13 ft) long, whereas L. moorei (NHMUK PV R 14370) likely reached 3 metres (9.8 ft) long; the largest species, L. solei, was approximately 5–6 metres (16–20 ft) long.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Leptonectes (revision 1324262015), 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: Q1014904.
