Xinminosaurus

Xinminosaurus had special crushing teeth, 5 to 13 millimetres wide, that were different from most other ichthyosaurs, which had pointed teeth for catching fish.1

Its skeleton was 2.32 metres long, with a skull of 29 centimetres and a tail of 99.5 centimetres.1

It had 140 vertebrae, including 60 in the neck and body, 3 in the hips, and 77 in the tail.1

Its tail bent downward at a 35 degree angle, a feature that helped it swim like modern fish.1

The front of its snout may have had no teeth, and new teeth grew outside the old ones, forming extra rows.1

Its flippers still had long bones like those of more primitive ichthyosaurs, but its body shape was more advanced.1