Earliest Oceanic Tetrapod Ecosystem (IMAGE)

Swedish Museum of Natural History

Earliest Oceanic Tetrapod Ecosystem

Caption

Earliest oceanic tetrapod ecosystem from 249 million years ago. A pod of the small-bodied ichthyopterygian ('fish-lizard') Grippia longirostris hunting squid-like ammonoids (top left). The marine amphibian Aphaneramma captures the bony fish Bobastrania (foreground). The gigantic ichthyosaur Cymbospondylus lurks in the depths (bottom right). 

Fossil of these ancient marine reptiles and amphibians are today preserved on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. 

Credit

Robert Back

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