A recent discovery in Germany has revealed a well-preserved fossil of an ichthyosaur from the Temnodontosaurus genus, dating back 180 million years. The discovery of the battered remains of a 180-million-year-old dolphin-like sea creature in Germany is making scientists rethink what they knew about one of the ocean’s most fearsome prehistoric predators. Unearthed at the Mistelgau clay pit in northern Germany, the remarkably well-preserved fossil belongs to an ichthyosaur from the genus Temnodontosaurus and may have survived far longer than experts once believed. At first glance, it may look like an ancient dolphin. But don’t be fooled. This was no playful mammal. It was a giant marine reptile, often called a “fish lizard,” that ruled the seas during the Mesozoic era. Keep on reading to know everything. According to researchers, this newly discovered fossil is among the youngest known examples of the Temnodontosaurus genus. “Our Temnodontosaurus fossil is one of the youngest finds of this ichthyosaur genus to date,” SNSB paleontologist Dr. Ulrike Albert, author of the study, said in a press release. “The discovery from Mistelgau now shows that these large marine reptiles survived longer in the Southwest German Basin than previously documented.” This finding pushes back the timeline of when these massive predators roamed ancient waters. Mystery Of Strange Golden Orb Found Deep In Ocean Finally Solved What makes this fossil even more fascinating is the evidence that the creature survived serious injuries. Scientists found signs of damage around the skeleton, especially near the jaw joints. These wounds likely made hunting extremely difficult. “The fact that it nevertheless survived is evidenced, among other things, by its heavily worn teeth and gastroliths, which we were able to identify in the abdominal region,” said Stefan Eggmaier, preparator at the Urwelt-Museum and one of the study’s authors. Gastroliths, or stones swallowed to help digest food, are rare in ichthyosaurs. Their presence suggests the injured predator may have changed its diet or feeding habits to stay alive. “The injuries likely significantly limited the animal's ability to catch prey,” Eggmaier added. Although it resembles a modern dolphin, this creature is not related at all. Modern dolphins are mammals, while ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles. Their similar body shapes are considered a classic example of convergent evolution, when unrelated species evolve similar features because they adapt to similar environments.