恐龍卡第 1034 張，共 2 027 張

Leptonectes

名字的意思： “slender swimmer”1

吃：肉魚龍類三疊紀晚期到侏羅紀早期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Leptonectes was a sleek, long-snouted marine reptile that swam in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs. It was not a dinosaur, but a type of ichthyosaur, with a body shaped like a fish and flippers for steering. It hunted small sea creatures with its slender jaws.1 2

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

206 到 183 百萬年前4

三疊紀晚期到侏羅紀早期

化石發現地

Fossils have been found in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Austria.2

長度

3 到 6 m (9.8 到 20 ft)3

最高速度

時速約 43 公里（27 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 6 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 33 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長能在 4.2 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Leptonectes 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Leptonectes 時速約 43 公里 (27 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Leptonectes had a very long and slender snout, which is why its name means 'slender swimmer'.1

The name Leptonectes was proposed in 1996 to replace the older name Leptopterygius, because that name was already used for another animal.1

Leptonectes lived from about 205.7 to 182.9 million years ago, during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods.2

Its front flippers were longer than its back flippers, but not twice as long.2

Leptonectes had large eyes and a slightly raised area on its skull near the cheekbones.2

The bones in its flippers were rounded and spaced apart, which may have made its flippers flexible.2

Leptonectes gave birth to live young, just like other ichthyosaurs, instead of laying eggs.2

Leptonectes 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Leptonectes 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Leptonectes 最常被問的問題

?How big was Leptonectes?

The biggest species, Leptonectes solei, was about 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft) long. The type species, L. tenuirostris, reached 4 metres (13 ft), and L. moorei was about 3 metres (9.8 ft).3

?Was Leptonectes a dinosaur?

No, Leptonectes was not a dinosaur. It was an ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the sea at the same time as dinosaurs.3

?What did Leptonectes eat?

Leptonectes hunted small sea creatures with its long, slender jaws. Its sharp teeth helped it catch fish and other marine animals.3

迷思破解王

迷思： Some people think Leptonectes was a dinosaur because it lived during the time of dinosaurs.

真相： Leptonectes was not a dinosaur. It was a marine reptile called an ichthyosaur, which lived in the ocean.2

給恐龍專家

學名: Leptonectes
命名者: McGowan 19964
類群: 魚龍類
科 / 演化支: Neoichthyosauria4
分類: Ichthyosauria > Ichthyosauromorpha4
岩石的年代: 206 到 183 百萬年 (Rhaetian / Toarcian)4
岩層: Charmouth Mudstone, Blue Lias, Posidonia Shale4
國家: 英國, 瑞士, 德國, 比利時, 奧地利4
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 12 筆4
又名: Leptopterygius （舊名稱現在也算作同一種動物）4
發現: The name Leptonectes was created by Chris McGowan in 1996 to replace the old name Leptopterygius. The first species, Leptonectes tenuirostris, was originally named by Conybeare in 1822.1
仍有爭議: Scientists still debate exactly which species belong to Leptonectes and how they are related to other ichthyosaurs.1