Phantomosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Phantomosaurus 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 | 247–241.464 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Cymbospondylidae |
| Named by | Maisch and Matzke 2000 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Germany |
| Rock formations | txn:163951 |
About Phantomosaurus
Phantomosaurus is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur that lived during the late Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic. Fossils have been found in southern Germany. It was discovered in 1965 and named in 1997 as a species of Shastasaurus by Sander in the rocks of the Upper Muschelkalk.
More recently, in 2005, the braincase was studied by Maisch and Matzke. They found it to be unique among all known ichthyosaurs in terms of braincase morphology. Despite its close relation to many other ichthyosaurs, in particular Cymbospondylus, Phantomosaurus appears to have a very primitive braincase which resembles other diapsids more than other ichthyosaurs.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Phantomosaurus (revision 1348216077), 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: Q7180630.
