/ Paleontology Content for ºÙºÙÊÓƵ en /blog/earliest-ichthyosaur-munched-shellfish <p>The ichthyosaurs were sleek, dolphin-like marine reptiles that roamed the oceans while dinosaurs ruled on land. But the earliest known member of the group was a short, seal-like animal that could likely pull itself on to land. Now scanning of that animal’s skull shows that it likely fed on hard-shelled animals such as shellfish and crabs. The appearance of similar teeth in other ichthyosaurs gives insight into how these animals were evolving in the wake of the mass extinction at the end of the Permian era, 250 million years ago.</p> May 11, 2020 - 8:01am Andy Fell /blog/earliest-ichthyosaur-munched-shellfish