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AROUND THE WORLD 4: New Reptile Fossils Found in Arctic

A giant swimming reptile was recently found by Norwegian scientists about 1,000 miles from the North Pole. The reptile is called the ichthyosaur, and is a giant reptile with fins and big teeth. It was found in a Jurassic graveyard on a Norwegian Arctic island. The Jurassic period was 206 to 144 million years ago.

Scientists say the reptile resembled a cross between a crocodile and a dolphin. Ichthyosaurs were carnivorous, and fed on squid and other marine life that lived in warm seawaters.

“We believe it’s a new species of ichthyosaur,” said Joern Hurum, the assistant professor at Oslo Geological Museum in Norway. “Only a few species of ichthyosaur are known and none of this age from this region.”

While there have been other ichthyosaurs found, they came from Germany and Britain.

The ichthyosaur was one of 10 different species found, and was discovered by chance, as scientists were sent to dig up a smaller creature called a plesiosaur. The plesiosaur was an aquatic reptile with a long neck and four big flippers, and was discovered two years ago by a group of students. The long-necked creature is about 10 meters long, which is far bigger than the ichthyosaur, scientists said.

--Written by Katie Denbo

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