Fossil discovery reveals ancient giant marine reptile relied on stealth while hunting in darkness

Dinosaur-age marine reptile flipper fossil could solve noise pollution

Life reconstruction of the large-sized Jurassic ichthyosaur. Credit: Joschua Knüppe. Noise from ships play a harmful role in the lives of marine-dwellers including whales and dolphins which rely on sonar and echolocation for hunting, mating and social bonding. A new study suggests that a possible solution might have been found more than 180 million years ago. Palaeontologists propose, in a paper published in Nature, that modern ships could emplo…

Fossil discovery reveals ancient giant marine reptile relied on stealth while hunting in darkness

A new study has uncovered evidence that a giant marine reptile from the Early Jurassic period used stealth to hunt its prey in deep or dark waters—much like owls on land today.

How an ancient marine predator snuck up on its prey

Serrations at the edges of a fossilized flipper of the ancient marine reptile Temnodontosaurussuggests it may have been able to swim silently.

‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator stalk its prey

Nature, Published online: 16 July 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02277-4180-million-year-old fossil suggests Temnodontosaurus had several adaptations for quiet swimming — plus, why damage to mitochondria during waking hours might explain the need for sleep.

Stealth Adaptations in Large Ichthyosaur Flippers

In the depths of the Early Jurassic seas, one marine predator reigned supreme not only through sheer size but also through unparalleled adaptations for stealth. The genus Temnodontosaurus, a colossal ichthyosaur that sometimes grew beyond ten meters, occupied apex trophic positions within its ecosystem. Combining formidable physicality with specialized sensory and locomotory traits, these ancient reptiles offer unprecedented insights into evolut…