Ichthyosaurs fins

The flipper fragment of an ichthyosaur is an impressive finding made near Holtzmaden, famous for its Jurassic shale deposits.

Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles whose ancestors returned to the waters. Their streamlined body shape made them look like sharks and dolphins, and their legs were modified into flippers. The elongated bone at the base is the shoulder bone, and the heavily modified bones of the forearm and hand form the rest of the flipper. This structure gives the flippers strength and flexibility, allowing for greater speed.

Ichthyosaurs, like whales, spent their entire lives in the sea, hunting fish and cephalopod mollusks.