Thalattoarchon

Thalattoarchon is a genus of large, Middle Triassic predatory ichthyosaur from North America, containing the single species T. saurophagis. The taxon was described in 2013 from a single partial skeleton discovered in Nevada. The generic name, meaning "ruler of the seas", refers to its status as an apex predator, while the specific epithet, meaning "lizard eater", alludes to its carnivorous diet. As an ichthyosaur, Thalattoarchon had flippers for limbs and a fin on the tail. It is a large ichthyosaur, with an estimated length between 8 and 9 meters. The animal has a long, slender body but with a proportionally large head and a straight, elongated tail. The jaws of Thalattoarchon feature large teeth with two cutting edges of up to 12 centimeters (0.39 ft). Although the fossils are incomplete, the animal would have had a skeleton comprising at least 60 presacral vertebrae.