Mixosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Mixosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 252 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 252 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 | 247–237 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Mixosauridae |
| Named by | Baur 1887 |
| Fossil records | 13 occurrences at 11 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Switzerland, United States, China, Germany, Italy |
| Rock formations | Favret, Besano, Guanling, Monte San Giorgio bituminous shales, Stockletten, txn:38875 |
About Mixosaurus
Mixosaurus is an extinct genus of Middle Triassic (Anisian to Ladinian, about 250-240 Mya) ichthyosaur. Its fossils have been found near the Italy–Switzerland border and in South China.
The genus was named in 1887 by George H. Baur. The name means "Mixed Lizard", and was chosen because it appears to have been a transitional form between the eel-shaped ichthyosaurs such as Cymbospondylus and the later dolphin-shaped ichthyosaurs, such as Ichthyosaurus. Baur named Mixosaurus as a new genus because its forefin was sufficiently different from that of Ichthyosaurus.
Numerous species have been described within this genus, which was once considered as the most common genus of Triassic ichthyosaurs. The type species is M. cornalianus, and the definitive number of species is debated among researchers.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Mixosaurus (revision 1314337899), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
