Grendelius
Grendelius was a fast-swimming marine reptile that lived in the Jurassic seas. It was not a dinosaur, but a type of ichthyosaur, which means 'fish lizard'. With its big eyes and sharp teeth, it was a fierce hunter of fish and squid.14
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Fun facts
Grendelius was first described in 1976 from a fossil found in the Kimmeridge Clay of England.1
Its name comes from Grendel, the monster in the Old English poem Beowulf.1
Grendelius had a very short and wide front flipper, which helped it steer quickly through the water.2
Scientists think Grendelius gave birth to live young, like other ichthyosaurs, instead of laying eggs.2
Some experts believe Grendelius might be the same animal as Brachypterygius extremus, but others disagree.2
Most asked questions about Grendelius
?How big was Grendelius?
About 4 metres (13 feet) long. That is roughly the length of a small car.3
?What did Grendelius eat?
It was a fierce hunter of fish and squid, using its big eyes and sharp teeth to catch them.3
?Is Grendelius a dinosaur?
No, it is not a dinosaur. It is a type of ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the Jurassic seas.3
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Myth buster
Myth: Grendelius was a dinosaur.
Truth: Grendelius was an ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the sea. Ichthyosaurs are not dinosaurs.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Grendelius
- Named by
- McGowan 19764
- Group
- Ichthyosaurs
- Family / clade
- Ophthalmosauridae4
- Classification
- Ichthyosauria > Ichthyosauromorpha4
- Age of the rocks
- 155 to 143 million years (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)4
- Countries
- Russia4
- Fossil records
- 6 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Grendelius was named by paleontologist C. McGowan in 1976, based on a partial skeleton found in the Kimmeridge Clay of Stowbridge, Norfolk, England.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if Grendelius is a separate genus or if it should be called Brachypterygius extremus. The classification is still debated.2
Where the facts come from
- cdnsciencepub.com (cdnsciencepub.com)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Grendelius (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Grendelius in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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