Pessopteryx fossil map
Where fossils of Pessopteryx 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 | 248.6–241.464 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Merriamosauridae |
| Named by | Wiman 1910 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Svalbard and Jan Mayen |
| Rock formations | txn:172838, Vikinghøgda |
About Pessopteryx
Pessopteryx is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Early Triassic (Olenekian) of Svalbard, Norway. The genus originally contained four species, P. nisseri, P. arctica, P. pinguis, and P. minor, which were named in 1910 by Carl Wiman. Only P. nisseri is still considered valid; P. arctica and P. pinguis are considered nomina dubia while P. minor was reassigned to the tenuous genus Isfjordosaurus. Omphalosaurus nisseri, Merriamosaurus hulkei, and Rotundopteryx hulkei are all historical junior synonyms of P. nisseri. In their 2026 publication on omphalosaurid diversity, Sander et al. considered this species to belong to the genus Omphalosaurus (O. nisseri). They regarded the hypodigm as non-diagnostic based on the limited available data.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pessopteryx (revision 1379831102), 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: Q22286107.
