Lost Ichthyosaur Skeleton Rediscovered: A Remarkable Find
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Chapter 1: The Enigma of the Ichthyosaur
The initial complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur was believed to be lost during World War II, likely destroyed in the London bombings. Recently, scientists have uncovered two plaster casts of this important fossil. One of these casts is housed in a museum located in Berlin.
Mary Anning, the daughter of a craftsman in England, explored the cliffs of County Dorset long before the term "dinosaur" existed. In the early 1800s, it would be two decades before dinosaurs would be formally recognized in scientific texts. However, fossils of large extinct reptiles were already acknowledged. As early as the 18th century, bones of previously unknown animals were unearthed, prompting the early paleontologists to study these remains systematically using emerging scientific techniques. The practice of fossil collection began to gain popularity.
Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England. The cliffs near her home were rich in fossils, which her father excavated to support their family. After his passing, a young Mary took over this task, discovering skulls and bones belonging to what was initially termed Proteosaurus. Around 1811–1812, she also unearthed the complete skeleton of this creature, which would later be known as the ichthyosaur.
The name Proteosaurus did not persist; it was ultimately replaced by ichthyosaur. Anning's discovery marked the first complete skeleton of this species ever found. Ichthyosaurs were powerful marine reptiles related to modern lizards and snakes, existing from approximately 251 to 66.5 million years ago. Most of these creatures thrived in the Jurassic seas around 200 million years ago.
Ichthyosaurs bore a striking resemblance to a mix of fish and lizards, reaching lengths of about three meters. They had large eyes and elongated, pointed snouts, and their fossils often resembled those of crocodiles.
Initially, Sir Everard Home, who introduced the term Proteosaurus, believed ichthyosaurs to be either crocodiles or fish. It wasn't until he examined the skeleton in 1819 that he concluded it was a unique creature bridging the two classifications.
Section 1.1: The Auction That Failed
Mary Anning's fossil collection was not financially rewarding. Wealthy collector Colonel Thomas Birch purchased her specimens and attempted to auction them in April 1820 to support Anning. Unfortunately, the auction did not meet the desired price. Subsequently, a note in the Royal College of Surgeons' journal appeared in June 1820, announcing the acquisition of a complete ichthyosaur skeleton from Birch, valued at £100 (equivalent to $8,500 today).
The fossil remained with the Royal College of Surgeons until it was lost in a bombing raid in May 1941. Until recently, it was believed that only illustrations of the skeleton survived, as no records indicated that copies had been created.
Section 1.2: A Significant Discovery
Recent research has revealed a different story. A paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science details how two scientists, Dean Lomax from the University of Manchester and Judy Massare from the State University of New York, tracked down two plaster casts of the ichthyosaur skeleton likely discovered by Anning.
After years of searching various museums for ichthyosaur fossils from the early Jurassic period, the researchers found a cast at Yale University's Peabody Museum, donated in 1930. The cast's description noted its origins from Lyme Regis. They also located a second, higher-quality cast in Berlin. Although the latter's provenance was unclear, it was well-crafted.
Comparing the casts with an illustration from Home's 1819 work led the researchers to conclude these were replicas of the original skeleton. Lomax and Massare highlighted the importance of the Berlin find, especially since the original was destroyed during WWII. They noted that in the 19th century, replicas of significant discoveries were often sent to museums to enhance knowledge and collections. This illustrates that treasures from the past can be found not only in the earth but also within museum archives.
Chapter 2: New Discoveries in Science
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